The Long and Winding Road
by gwennie3579
Summary: Will/Finn. Future fic. Ch 12 is up! Happens in the same universe as "In Brandy, Truth," "Clocked," and "Here We Come a'Wassailing," but five years later. Finn returns to Lima after graduating college... but is he just visiting, or coming home for good?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I still own nothing. If I did, there'd be a whole lot more making out.

**A/N:** This happens in the same world as _In Brandy, Truth_, _Clocked_, and _Here We Come a'Wassailing,_ but this takes place about five years in the future. This will be a multi-chaptered fic, in the present-tense, and can be read independently of the other stories. There are mentions of other ships, though I haven't decided if we'll see them later on or not. But in case we do, they are: Artie/Tina, Brittany/Santana, Rachel/Puck, Kurt/OC (the OC won't play a major role, but we might see him). There's also a possible Mr. Hummel/Mrs. Hudson hookup in the future. Obviously, the primary focus will be on Will/Finn, though we don't see it in this chapter. Here be exposition. Enjoy!

The first thing Finn notices is the new video store on the corner. He feels suddenly old and nostalgic, even though he's only just turned 22, and he was in Lima not two months before to visit his mom. Still, time marches on, and Finn is a little surprised to realize that his hometown is marching along with it.

Turning onto Oakley Street, he counts four houses on the right, then turns into the driveway that leads past a well-manicured lawn and a bed of bright red geraniums. He parks behind a dark green station wagon in the carport, and notices the sticker in the back window in the shape of a dancer, with CAROLINA printed in a semi-circle above it.

She's on the front porch waving before he can even get the car door open, and he feels a sudden rush of home. She looks amazing. Her blonde hair is still long, and pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She's wearing a pink hoodie and grey knit pants, and her feet are bare. She's kept her figure, though Finn never really doubted she would.

"Hi, stranger," she says with a smile, as he climbs out of the car. He bounds up the sidewalk in two long strides and sweeps her into a hug.

"Hey," he says, breathing in her scent of perfume and soap and hair spray. He pulls away, hands on her shoulders, and looks intently at her face. "You sure haven't changed," he says, and she laughs.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

They grin at each other, happy to be reunited after nearly two years, and then Finn senses a new presence. The little girl hides behind her mom's legs, ducking shyly when Quinn twists around to coax her out.

"Carolina, you remember your Uncle Finn, don't you?"

The little girl is breathtaking. Her hair is fair and falls in a tangled wave down her back, marking a stark contrast to her olive skin and luminous dark eyes.

Finn bends down, peering around Quinn, and gives the child a friendly smile. "Hey there, little Drizzle."

Quinn laughs. "You're still hung up on that?"

"It was a good name," Finn says, with mock defensiveness.

"Uh huh. Well, I suppose I'll let you come in, in spite of your bad taste."

"Thanks," Finn says drily, following Quinn as she turns and leads him inside the house. Carolina watches him walk past, eyes wide, and he wonders if she really does remember him. He hasn't seen her since she was two, and then it was only for a few minutes after she woke up from a nap. She'd been cranky, and wanted nothing to do with him.

Quinn's house is as immaculate as Quinn herself, though Finn can tell the place is older and is probably in need of some repairs. He makes a mental note to ask her tactfully if she needs anything done while he's home. The house is a rental, but it's a huge step up from the cramped apartment she was living in last time Finn saw her.

She leads him into the living room and motions for him to take a seat on the brown suede couch. She excuses herself to the kitchen to get them the coffee she's made, and he takes a moment to look around, noticing the scattered toys in the corner and the row of children's DVDs under the TV. Suddenly, he looks toward the door and finds himself caught in a dark gaze.

"Hey, Carolina," he says, giving the child a little wave. She cocks her head and looks at him suspiciously, then takes a cautious step into the room. "Wanna show me your toys?" She shakes her head 'no,' but goes over to the corner and sits down, taking up a wooden puzzle and pulling out the chunky pieces. Slowly, Finn gets up and moves across the room, sitting down on the floor at a safe distance. "That's a pretty cool puzzle."

"It's animals," she says matter-of-factly, holding the base out so he can see the farm scene painted on it.

"Awesome," he says. "What's your favorite?"

She shrugs, then expertly fits a lamb cutout back into the base. "I like cats," she says, and puts the puzzle down so she can pick up a Barbie doll in a pink sparkly evening gown.

"I like cats, too," Finn says, watching her smooth out the doll's long blonde hair. He feels a sudden ache that he's almost been able to forget the last two years, and he swallows past the lump that's risen in his throat.

"Carolina, didn't I tell you to pick up those puzzle pieces?" Quinn says, as she sweeps into the room with a tray of coffee and cookies. The little girl nods and begins gathering the pieces, dropping them into a bright green basket. "Thank you," Quinn says, putting her tray down on the coffee table. Finn resumes his seat, and she passes him a mug that has "#1 Mom" scrawled across it in rainbow colors.

They fall into easy conversation -- much easier than that last couple years of high school, when Finn thought they'd never be close again. Glee Club forced them to talk, but he'd spent the rest of that year and all of his senior year feeling so betrayed by both his girlfriend and his best friend, he could barely look at them. It wasn't until he went off to college that Kurt convinced him it was time to forgive and forget. The two unlikely roommates had become best friends during their years at Ohio State, and Finn had learned that when Kurt deigned to give advice, you were smart to take it.

"How're Puck and Rachel?" Finn asks, and Quinn smiles. It's a genuine smile, and he is glad to see it.

"They're _so_ good," she says, and there is nothing but warmth in her voice.

"How are they liking Dayton?"

"Oh, Rachel is getting used to it. She found a job, teaching drama at a school for the arts. She says it's a baby step up from Lima, so I guess that's something."

Finn laughs. "Yeah, I guess so."

"She says there's a lot of community and regional theatre there. They have an opera, a philharmonic, and a ballet company, so she's keeping busy making the rounds. And Noah loves living on-base."

"That's great," Finn says, and he's happy to discover he actually means it.

"Yeah. You know, I was a little shocked when Noah decided to join the Air Force. I thought he was running away from his problems. And I guess he was. But you know, it really did change him." Quinn smiles, watching Carolina playing quietly in the corner, and Finn wonders if she sees Puck every time she looks at her._ He_ does.

"We meet halfway every other weekend," Quinn goes on, taking a sip of her coffee. "Carolina loves going to stay with them. And sometimes Rachel and I meet in Columbus, and the three of us girls go shopping."

"That sounds like fun," Finn says, though he wonders how two girls with such different styles could possibly shop at the same stores.

"How's Kurt?" Quinn asks, and Finn perks up a little at the question.

"He's great. He got accepted into OSU's law school, so he'll be sticking around a few more years."

"Wow, that's fantastic. Are you guys going to keep living together?"

"I think so. We've made it four years, so I suppose we can last a little longer." Finn smiles, wondering if Kurt is already taking advantage of having the apartment to himself for the next couple weeks.

"Is he seeing anyone?" Quinn asks, and Finn can't help a snort.

"Anyone and everyone."

Quinn laughs. "Four years is an awfully long time to live with someone," she says, giving Finn a playful wink. "You sure you didn't fall into his bed once or twice in all that time?"

Finn can't help the blush he can feel spreading across his cheeks. No, he and Kurt had never participated in any extracurricular activities in _or_ out of bed, but Kurt was the first person he told, back in Freshman year, when he'd decided he might be open to dating the occasional guy. Kurt, being Kurt, had tossed him a pack of condoms and a banana from the top of the mini-fridge, and told him to go at it. Kurt was also the first person he'd told about... _him_. He hadn't breathed a word of it in high school, but by sophomore year, he still couldn't get that night right before Christmas '09 out of his head.

"Oh! I have news!" Quinn says, apparently not noticing Finn's discomfort, or the fact that he hadn't answered her question. "Guess who's pregnant?"

"Not Rachel?" he says, feeling a little conflicted. It's not that he wouldn't be happy for her -- for her _and_ Puck -- but he'd always pictured himself becoming a family man before any of the others. He has to admit it bothers him a little that that's not the case.

Quinn shakes her head, and he feels a bit of guilty relief. "It's Tina!" she says, and Finn laughs.

"Tina? Way to go, Artie!"

"I know, right? The doctors said it wasn't likely to happen, but the second Tina went off her birth control... bang!"

"So to speak," Finn quips, and the two of them share a laugh.

"They've been planning to get married in the spring, but Tina's afraid she'll be as big as a house, so we'll see. Artie's determined to make an honest woman out of her."

"And what about Brittany and Santana?" Finn asks, and Quinn rolls her eyes.

"On again, off again... as usual," she says. "I knew there would be problems when Brit followed Santana out to San Francisco. Apparently she's started dancing with this hip-hop group in Berkeley, and she loves it. But she says Santana brings home a new guy... or girl... at least once a week."

Finn nods, feeling bad for Brittany, who's always been pretty nice to him. He glances at his watch, surprised to find that it's already after 4:00.

"School's been out for more than an hour," Quinn says, giving him a knowing smile.

Finn looks up at her, surprised. "What?"

"You've been checking your watch every five minutes. He's been out of school for at least an hour."

Finn flushes, embarrassed at his transparency. Finally, seeing Quinn's shrewd look, he opts for honesty. "It's Wednesday, so he's got rehearsal. He probably won't be heading home for another twenty minutes or so."

Quinn nods. "Do you talk to him often?"

"No. He finally set up a facebook account, so we email every now and again, but that's about it. I saw him in the grocery store last Thanksgiving. How about you?" Finn holds his breath, almost afraid to hear Quinn's answer.

"He teaches Carolina's kinder-music class at the community center. She adores him."

Finn smiles, though there's a touch of sadness in it. "I'm sure the feeling's mutual."

"It is." She laughs. "She couldn't say 'Mr. Schue' when she started, but she just kept trying. Eventually, she managed to call him 'Mushu,' and it kinda stuck."

"Like the pork?"

Quinn smiles. "Yeah. That's my kid. She screams bloody murder when I try to get her to eat a green bean, but if I put enough soy sauce on it, she'd eat a piece of cardboard."

"That's Puck," Finn says, laughing. "He's got more MSG in his system than he's got red blood cells."

"He's okay, you know," she says, and Finn knows she's not talking about Puck.

"That's good," he says, though he finds it a little difficult to get the words out without choking. He takes a swig of his now lukewarm coffee, blanching at the bitterness.

"When Mrs. Pillsbury left, I thought it was the last straw. But he's... okay. He stays busy. You'll never guess who he made up with."

"Who?" Finn asks, curious.

"Coach Sylvester."

"No!"

Quinn nods, looking as if she can't quite believe it herself. "I go bowling every Thursday with some of the other nurses, and I've seen them there with Coach Tanaka and a couple others. They act all chummy, like nothing ever happened."

Finn sits back, a little shell-shocked. "Wow. I never thought I'd see the day..."

"Me either," Quinn says.

Finn falls silent, looking down at the half of a cookie he hasn't eaten. He wants to say something, but he's not sure how much Quinn has figured out on her own.

"He asks about you," she says finally, giving him a significant look.

Finn has to take a deep breath before he speaks, to steady his voice. "He does?"

Quinn nods. "When I drop off Carolina. Not every time, but at least once a month or so. You should go see him."

"I... I'm not sure he wants to see me," Finn says softly.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"I don't know. What if I remind him... of a... of a bad time in his life? You know, Terri leaving him, his relationship with Mrs. Pillsbury, and... everything else."

Quinn looks at him through slightly narrowed eyes. He knows she wants to ask _what else, _but she doesn't, and he is grateful. Instead, she reaches across the coffee table and puts her small hand on top of his.

"What do you think he thinks of every time he sees Carolina? Life goes on, Finn. Mr. Schue isn't going to blame you because you happened to be around when he was going through a rough time. He'll be glad to see you. I know it."

Finn nods, and gives her a small smile. "Thanks," he says, turning his hand over and giving hers a squeeze.

"You're welcome. Now, you'd better go. He should be home by now. But you're coming back to see me, mister."

Finn laughs. "I promise," he says, and he really means it. "I don't start the new job for another two weeks, so I'll be around."

"Good," Quinn says, standing up and picking up the tray. "I'll see if Noah and Rachel will come here to pick up Carolina this weekend – we can all have dinner."

"That'd be great."

"Bye, Finn."

Finn leans over and places a soft kiss on Quinn's cheek. He only wonders for the briefest moment what might have been, but the emptiness is quickly replaced by the pride he feels in how hard she's worked, and how far she's come.

"Bye, Quinn," he says softly in her ear. "Bye, Drizzle." He waves at the girl, who's digging through her DVDs and expertly pushing buttons on the TV. She looks up with a shy smile and gives him a little wave, then goes on about her business.

Finn walks out the door and gets into his car. With a last wave at Quinn, he buckles his seat belt and backs out of the drive, turning onto Oakley Street and heading west. It'll take him five minutes to get there – five minutes to figure out how to make up a lifetime.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I continue to own nothing except a pile of unwrapped Christmas presents and two sore feet.

**A/N:** Hopefully this chapter will clear up some of the confusion about what happened after _Here We Come a'Wassailing_. That story, and the two that came before it – _In Brandy, Truth_ and _Clocked_ – were meant to be one-shots. This is a multi-chaptered continuation of those stories, set five years in the future, but it can be read alone (though it does make more sense if you've read the others). I may flash back to moments throughout the last five years, but for the most part, this will be picking up five years after _Here We Come a'Wassailing_. It'll make more sense after you read this chapter, but basically, the end of that story really was the end.... until now, that is! Thanks for the reviews – you guys are making me so incredibly happy with your encouraging and thoughtful words!

Finn is transported back to the fall of junior year as he stands in front of Mr. Schue's apartment door. There's no wreath hanging there to welcome him this time, but he feels just like the awkward, scared, totally lost kid he was then. Wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans and tugging at the collar of his button-down shirt, Finn wonders how this little scenario is going to play out. He and Will have corresponded just a handful of time over the last four years, and the emails exchanged have been limited to pleasantries, inquiries about mutual acquaintances, and updates on how the current Glee Club is doing. And the run-in they had in the grocery store last Thanksgiving he'd been telling Quinn about was far from significant; his mother had been with him, and they'd said nothing more than "hello" and "how are you?"

Finn raises his hand to knock on the door, then quickly lowers it, wondering if he's making the right choice. He thinks it might be easier for the both of them if he just disappeared -- if he just forgot what happened that night on the trampoline.

He hasn't forgotten, of course. He replays that night over and over in his mind, going over every touch, every sigh, every look that passed between them. Will was true to his word; nothing like that ever happened again. Finn helped him jump his car and watched him drive away, wondering how anything could ever be the same.

And nothing ever was. Every shared glance, every innocuous conversation held a deeper meaning for Finn. He spent that next year and a half blushing all the way through Glee rehearsal, and walking around with a book in front of his jeans during Spanish class. He could never quite tell if his presence had the same effect on Will, though he liked to think it did. He screwed up just once, calling Will by his first name in a fit of annoyance over a particularly difficult Spanish lesson. Will never missed a beat, calmly issuing him detention and carrying on with the class.

When Finn stayed behind that afternoon, Will was beside himself.

"Finn, you can't... that can't happen. It can't happen again."

"I know," Finn said sullenly.

"I'm serious. Slip-ups like that could put Glee Club in jeopardy. Not to mention my job."

"I _know_."

"What happened... was a mistake. It was a serious lapse in judgment on my part. I think it's best we both forget about --"

"Will, I know!" Finn said, slamming his hand down on his desk for emphasis. "It was a terrible idea, okay? I get it. You screwed up, and so did I. It won't happen again. _Mr. Schue_."

Finn blinks, the memory of that day coming alive in his mind as if it had just happened. He'd been so angry. He feigned the flu for three days after that just so he wouldn't have to look Will in the face.

But now he doesn't have a choice -- he _has _to look Will in the face... has to see if the feelings he's been harboring for the last four years are still there, reflected in the older man's eyes.

Before he can convince himself otherwise, he raises his hand and raps on the door three times, breath catching in his throat as he listens for footsteps. He counts to ten, and when there's no response, he knocks again. Glancing at his watch, he wonders if maybe Will got tied up at the school, or had to run errands on his way home, or...

"Hello?"

Finn is startled by the voice behind him in the hall. He hadn't heard anyone approaching.

"Can I help...."

Finn turns around, giving his one-time teacher a nervous smile.

"...you?"

"Hey," Finn says, suddenly finding it hard to get the breath to speak.

"Finn?" Will looks shell-shocked. He also looks damn good. Finn drinks him in, taking in the same barely-contained curls, and the same rugged but somehow boyish face.

"Surprise," he says, holding out his hands and giving Will a little shrug.

Will shakes his head. "What are you...?"

"I had a couple weeks to kill after graduation, so I thought I'd come back and see everyone. You know, before I start working." Finn looks down at the dingy grey carpet, wondering if he's going to regret his decision to come here.

"Congratulations," Will says, still staring at him like he's been resurrected from the dead. "I mean... on graduating."

"Thanks," Finn says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "How've you been?"

"Pretty well. Um... sorry. Would you like to go in?"

"Oh. Sure. Yeah, that'd be great." Finn steps aside so Will can unlock the door. He tries not to stand so close, but the hall is cramped, and he finds himself drawn to the other man like a magnet. Will glances over his shoulder, smiles hesitantly, and drops his keys.

"Shit," he says softly, just as Finn bends over to pick them up.

"Here, let me..."

"Thanks," Will says, careful not to touch Finn's hand as he takes the keys. Finn deflates, watching with a sinking heart as Will unlocks the door and beckons him inside without another word.

Once inside, Finn turns to close the door behind him, and when he turns back, Will's arms are around him.

"Oh," he says, surprised, as Will's hands fist in the fabric of his shirt, pressing into his shoulder blades. Belatedly, he wraps his arms around the older man, holding him close, and rests his cheek against those soft curls. He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and feels all the tension begin to seep out of his body.

They stand like that for several long moments, as the late-afternoon sunlight filters in from the living room, bathing them in dusky, rose-colored light. He feels Will begin to pull away, and he holds him tighter, not willing to let him go just yet. Finally, his arms begin to cramp from squeezing so tight, and he reluctantly loosens his grip.

"Well," Will says, looking up at him with an embarrassed grin. They're standing close, and Finn thinks he could just fall into those eyes and never look back.

"Well," he echoes, chuckling a little. "It's good to see you."

"You too," Will says, stepping out of his embrace and offering him a wide smile. "Can I get you something to drink? Or dinner... have you had dinner?"

"I'm fine," Finn says, closing the gap between them once again. He puts his hands on Will's shoulders, feeling the older man trembling slightly beneath his touch. "Everything's fine now."

"I, uh... I have iced tea," Will says, breaking away from Finn and bolting into the kitchen. "Or lemonade. Neither's homemade, but it's good enough. I think I'm going to have the lemonade. How about you?"

"Uh, lemonade's fine," Finn says, following behind him. He's amused and a little concerned at Will's sudden case of nerves. He watches as the older man busies himself about the kitchen, putting ice in the glasses and getting them a couple napkins from a stack on top of the microwave.

"Here," he says, handing Finn the glass. "I've got some cookies somewhere. Chocolate chip, I think."

"That's great," Finn says gently, hoping to calm him.

"Why don't you go on into the living room? I'll be there as soon as I find them."

Finn nods and walks out of the kitchen, casting one last glance back at his former teacher. Will's face is flushed, and he moves quickly and carelessly. Finn smiles fondly as he closes a finger in a cupboard door while searching for the missing cookies and swears, shaking his hand in pain.

Finn wanders into the living room, recalling vividly his last visit here, the night he found out the baby -- Carolina -- wasn't his. He remembers the towel Will brought him to dry his rain-soaked hair, remembers the way it smelled, all clean and flowery. He also remembers getting puke drunk and calling Will by his first name, remembers how deliciously right it felt, rolling off his tongue for the first time.

Finn sits down on the sofa, looking up with a smile when Will carries in a package of cookies.

"Here we go," he says, putting them on the coffee table along with the napkins. Finn is a little disappointed when Will sits down in the chair, but he tries not to let it show.

"So," Will says cheerfully, taking a sip of his lemonade, "tell me how you've been."

"Great," Finn says. "Glad to have a break for a couple weeks. I start work on the 7th, so I'm heading back to Columbus on the 5th."

"And where will you be working?"

"It's a small firm in Dublin. Right now they mostly deal with local and regional clients, but they've started taking on some national campaigns."

"That's great. Congratulations," Will says warmly. "How's Kurt doing?"

"He's great. Got accepted to law school."

"Wow, that's fantastic."

"Yeah," Finn says, swelling with pride for his best friend. "And did you hear about Artie and Tina?"

"The baby?" Will asks. "Quinn told me when she dropped Carolina off at kinder-music. I'm really pleased for them." Will does sound pleased, but Finn can't help but notice something faraway, something wistful, in his eyes. "Have you been to see Quinn yet?"

"Yeah," Finn says, "just before I came here. Seems like she's doing great. And little Drizzle --"

Will barks out a laugh. "You're still on that?"

Finn grins. "Funny, that's what Quinn said. And yes, I am. _Drizzle_ has to be the cutest kid I've ever seen."

"She is that. And how's your mom?"

"Good. I haven't been to see her yet. I, uh... I wanted to come here first." Finn looks up from his lemonade hopefully, but Will is looking at the blank TV screen.

"Well, I don't want to keep you," he says, finishing his drink and refusing to meet Finn's gaze. "I need to get back to the school anyway -- we've got a late rehearsal for Glee Club tonight. The big end-of-the-year show is next week, and we've got miles to go."

Finn smiles, trying not to look disappointed.

"Don't be a stranger," Will says, getting to his feet and pick up his and Finn's glasses. "You'll have to stop by and see me again before you leave."

"Sure," Finn says, confused. "I was actually thinking maybe we could meet up for lunch tomorrow."

Finn stands up as Will walks past, reaching out to help with the glasses, but Will steps around him, making for the kitchen.

"I'm pretty busy tomorrow," he says as he walks out. "I have classes at the community center in the morning, then rehearsal, then dinner with some of the teachers. But uh, thanks for the invite."

Finn follows him into the kitchen. Will turns around, not expecting him to be there, and jumps a little when they wind up nose-to-nose. Or, more accurately, nose-to-chin.

"Will, what is it?" Finn says, trying not to be hurt when the older man flinches away from the hand he raises to place on his shoulder.

"Nothing," Will says, looking down at the ground, as if suddenly fascinated by the pattern on the tile. "You startled me, that's all."

Finn reaches out and tips up Will's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "I've been waiting five years for this," he says in a whisper, and Will's eyes go wide.

"But I... I saw you last Thanksgiving."

It warms Finn's heart to hear that Will remembers the brief run-in, and he smiles. "That's not what I mean. I mean, I've been waiting five years for _this_." Finn leans in, bringing Will's face closer. His eyelids flutter shut, and he lets out a contented sigh as their lip brush in a feather-light touch.

"I have to go!" Will says, and Finn's eyes snap open. Will ducks around him, moving into the hall and grabbing his keys from a hook by the door.

"Uh, okay," Finn says, trailing after him, wondering what went wrong.

Will opens the door and stands there expectantly. "I'll see you around," he says. His voice is light, but he won't meet Finn's eyes.

"Okay. When?"

"I'm not sure," Will says, and Finn can detect a hint of frustration in his voice. "Just stop by rehearsal one day if you like. Or come see the show next week."

"Oh." Finn feels completely dejected. He thought when Will embraced him like that... like he was something precious...

Whatever he thought, he'd been wrong.

"Goodbye, Finn," Will says, opening the door wider in a very clear indication that he wants the younger man gone.

Finn walks out the door, looking back briefly, feeling his heart in his throat. "Bye, Will."

The door shuts firmly behind him. Finn stares at it for a moment, trying to get his bearings. He has no idea what's just happened.

"Well," he says quietly to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets and trudging down the hall, "back to the drawing board."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. At least, that's what my therapist tells me.

**A/N: **Just wanted to say thank you all again for the lovely, thoughtful reviews. I know everyone says this, but they definitely inspire me! There's a little more angst for poor Finn in this chapter, but hopefully some UST goodness, too. Oh, and there's some _Glee_-esque singing! I have more of the plot fleshed out in my mind now, so I think I have a good solid direction. In future chapters we'll see a lot more Will/Finn interaction (along with some romance), more Quinn (possibly playing Cupid), and maybe even some cameos from our favorite Glee kids (Kurt, anyone?). There is a good chance I won't be able to update over the holidays, so this may be the last chapter for a while. I hope to write up a chapter or two while I'm visiting family so I can type them up and post them as soon as I get home. If I don't get to post again until after Christmas – Happy Holidays, everyone!

"I need to borrow your kid."

"Uh... come in?" Quinn says, opening the door wider and letting Finn step by her. Her hair is pulled up in a messy knot, and she wears a blue robe over her pajamas. "Coffee?"

"Sure, thanks," Finn says, following her into the kitchen. Quinn pulls down a couple mugs and pours them full. She dumps a few teaspoons of sugar in one of them, and sits it down at the breakfast table. Finn takes a seat and pulls the steaming mug toward him, breathing in the strong scent of freshly-brewed coffee. Quinn grabs her own mug and sits down across from him, stifling a yawn.

"So... you need my kid?"

"Yeah, it's sorta an emergency, or I wouldn't ask." Finn looks over, giving her a winning grin.

Quinn's look is skeptical. "Uh huh. You need to borrow _my_ daughter... because _you're_ having an emergency. Okay, start talking."

Finn bites his lip, not sure how to explain. He knows that Quinn is pretty perceptive, and she's always known he was closer to Will than most students ever got with their teachers, but to tell her... to tell her he was in _love_ with him, and had been for years... he wasn't sure he was quite ready for that.

"I just thought I'd take Driz-- _Carolina_ -- to her kinder-music class this morning."

Quinn raises an eyebrow. "O_kay_. Why?"

"Well, I know it's been tough for you, especially with Puck and Rachel not being close by, and I thought maybe.... maybe you could use some time to yourself. You know, go get your nails done, or have a drink with the girls or something."

"Have a drink with the girls? It's 8:30 in the morning." Quinn laughed, a little incredulously. "Finn, what in the hell is going on?"

"Okay," Finn says with a sigh. "Okay. See, I wanted to take Carolina to her class, so I could see W- ... Mr. Schue."

Quinn frowns, and Finn begins to see his chance slipping away. "I thought you went to see him yesterday."

"I did. But..."

"But what?"

Finn's silence apparently tells Quinn more than any answer he could come up with. She gives him a scrutinizing look, then leans back in her chair.

"Okay," she says coolly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not one to pass up a free baby-sitter, or a morning to myself. I'll let you have my kid... on one condition."

"Sure," Finn says, leaning forward enthusiastically. "Anything."

"You have to tell me everything."

"But --"

"_Every_thing." Quinn smiles, triumphant. "You can start. Now."

------------

Twenty minutes later, Finn is trying his best not to let loose a string of swears.

"You just sit there, don't worry about a thing. I've got it," he mutters, struggling to unlatch the buckles on the car seat. Carolina watches him silently, with the total disdain only a child can muster.

Finn can't understand why a four-year-old has to ride in a car seat, anyway. He was riding in the back of his grandpa's pickup when he was half that age. With the tailgate down. And did he die? Not even once.

Grumbling and beginning to break a sweat, Finn straightens up, leaning his forearm against the roof of the car and wondering if he's going to have to beg for help from one of the mothers beginning to roll into the parking lot at the community center. He looks down just in time to see Carolina reach down and press a little red button on the buckle over her chest. The latch snicks apart, and the restraining straps sag down her shoulders. She looks up at Finn solemnly, dark eyes almost apologetic.

"Show-off," he mutters, helping her pull her arms through the straps and lifting her out of the car. He puts her gently on her feet, and she holds his hand as they cross the parking lot. There are a handful of young moms walking in with their kids; they all watch him lead Carolina up to the door with silly little grins on their faces. He thinks for a moment that toting around someone else's kid might just be the best chick magnet ever... except it's not a _chick_ he's hoping to attract.

The two of them walk through the main entrance into a brightly-lit atrium filled with tall potted plants and trees. He sees a few of the moms leading their children down a hallway to the left, and he starts after them. Carolina tugs on his hand, and he looks down at her. She tilts her head toward the hallway on the right, and he can see that the moms with the younger children are heading in that direction.

"Alright, Ms. Know-it-all," he says, letting her pull him along. Carolina stops at the second door on the left. It's festooned with cardboard cut-out music notes with pictures of the students framed in each one. Finn spots Carolina's smiling face in one of them, and figures this must be the place.

He pushes open the door and lets Carolina walk in first, though she keeps hold of his hand. Will is standing just inside the classroom, shuffling through a stack of sheet music and greeting the kids that are running up to say hello. He turns around when he hears the door open and immediately looks down, smiling widely when he sees Carolina standing there.

"Hello, beautiful," he says, leaning down and tugging on a lock of blonde hair. "And how is Ms. Fabray-Puckerman this morning?"

"Fine," she says shyly, ducking her head and pulling Finn's hand closer. Will glances up then, giving Finn a polite smile before turning his attention back to Carolina. He opens his mouth to say something, and then his eyes snap back up to Finn, going wide with surprise.

"Hey," Finn says quietly, giving Will a tentative smile.

"Finn," Will says, straightening up and taking a step back. "What are you...?"

"Oh. Uh, Quinn needed to run some, uh... errands. So I offered to bring Carolina in today. So she could... you know..."

"Run some errands," Will repeats, and Finn nods, suddenly thinking this is the worst idea ever.

"Well, welcome to the class," Will says, gesturing to the room behind him, where the kids and their moms have arranged themselves in a circle on the floor. His smile is forced, and Finn has to swallow over the lump in his throat before he can mumble a "thank you."

He lets Carolina pull him over to the circle, and a couple of the moms scoot over to make room for him. He's not paying a bit of attention to them, though. Every cell, every inch of his body is exclusively attuned to the man who's taking a seat at the opposite end of the circle, almost directly across from Finn. Finn drops to the floor, folding his long legs into a comfortable position, and Carolina immediately crawls into his lap.

"Good morning, everyone," Will says cheerfully, and there is a chorus of "hellos" and "good mornings" from the small crowd. "Ready to get warmed up?"

Carolina nods excitedly, and Finn can't help but smile. Will leads the kids in a few vocal exercises, and encourages the parents to participate. Finn throws his voice into the decidedly female medley, and feels a little embarrassed to realize he sticks out like a sore thumb. A couple of the moms stare at him, surprised, and he feels a flush creep along his cheeks. Carolina looks up at him and giggles, pulling his arm around her and leaning back against his chest.

"Alright, great job everybody," Will says when the warmups are done. "So do we have any requests today?" he asks, looking around the circle. In Finn's lap, Carolina's arm shoots up. Finn watches as Will turns that gorgeous smile on her, and he has to catch his breath.

"I want to hear 'Sweet Caroline,'" she says, in her tinkling, melodious voice.

Will laughs. "I wonder why," he says, giving her a wink.

"My daddy sings it to me," she says, and Finn remembers the first time he heard Noah Puckerman sing that song... back when he thought Quinn was carrying _his_ child. He feels briefly as if he's been punched in the gut. He suddenly sees the way it could've been -- he and Quinn, little baby Drizzle, their perfect life together... as a family.

Finn leans down and presses his lips to Carolina's soft blonde hair, breathing in the powdery scent of baby shampoo, and wondering what it would be like if she were his. She giggles again, and he tickles her neck, eliciting a little squeal.

Finn raises his eyes then, to find Will is looking right at him. His gaze is so intense it's like a physical touch, and Finn knows the older man can tell what's on his mind. They look at each other for a long moment, and Finn is sure the man can read everything he's feeling on his face. Will's careful mask slips for the briefest second, and Finn catches just a glimpse of his internal conflict. His chest constricts as though there's a vice around his heart, as he realizes Will is fighting hard against whatever it is he's feeling.

A little boy to Finn's right sneezes, and the spell between them is broken. Finn smiles a little, and breathes a bit easier when Will returns it. Clapping his hands, Will begins singing the first verse of "Sweet Caroline," and by the chorus, most of the kids and moms have joined in. Finn keeps his arms wrapped around Carolina, and the two sway as they watch Will sing. He hums along with the tune, and by the end, Carolina's head is drooping and her eyelids are heavy. His eyes meet Will's over the top of her head, and they both smile.

The rest of the class is devoted to learning a new song, as Will teaches the kids about African American spirituals. Finn watches with a quiet sense of awe at how natural and easy-going Will is in front of the kids. He seems at home here, singing and teaching and entertaining. The kids, for their part, eat it up. Finn's never heard a group get so quiet so fast when Will holds a finger to his lips, or so loud and enthusiastic when he leads them in a rousing rendition of "Dem Bones."

Finally, as the song winds down, Will looks around the circle with a smile.

"As many of you have noticed," he says, his eyes going briefly to Finn, "we have a special guest with us today. Everybody, I'd like you to meet Finn Hudson, a friend of Carolina's."

Finn blushes as the kids and their moms say hello, and he gives them a little wave.

"What you don't know," Will continues, "is that Finn used to be a student of mine. In fact, he was in my very first Glee Club group. And since he's back, I think we should ask him to end class today with a song."

Finn's eyes go wide as he stares at Will with an open mouth.

"What?" he says, as butterflies spring to life in his stomach. "I don't think--"

"I think the kids are tired of hearing from me," Will says, and there's a touch of wickedness in his smile. "Aren't you, guys?"

"Yeah!" the kids shout in unison, and Finn can't help a laugh.

"I'll do it on one condition," he says, hoping Will notices the evil glint in his eye. Will raises an eyebrow, and he smiles. "You have to sing it with me."

"Oh, these kids don't want to hear from me again," Will says, and Finn nudges Carolina, whispering in her ear.

"Yes we do!" she says, and the kids one-by-one join her in chanting it.

"Okay, okay," Will laughs, holding up his hands. "You got me. I'll do it. So," he says, looking across the circle at Finn, who suddenly feels as if miles have been bridged between them, "what should we sing?"

Finn shrugs, trying to look nonchalant. "Beatles?"

Will nods. "Alright. Which one?"

Finn pretends to think. "How about 'The Long and Winding Road'?" he says after a moment. Will's smile falters ever-so-slightly, but he nods again, and quietly waits for Finn to start.

Feeling unreasonably nervous, Finn clears his throat, and begins to sing the first tremulous notes of the song.

_"The long and winding road,_

_that leads to your door,_

_will never disappear,_

_I've seen that road before._

_It always leads me here,_

_leads me to your door."_

Finn holds on to Carolina like a life raft, feeling the eyes of the entire class watching him. He takes a breath and starts in on the next verse, faltering just a little when Will's voice joins in with his own.

_"The wild and windy night,_

_that the rain washed away,_

_has left a pool of tears, _

_crying for the day._

_Why leave me standing here?_

_Let me know the way."_

Finn looks over at his former teacher as they head into the bridge. Will's eyes meet his as they sing the words, voices reaching a harmonious crescendo.

_"Many times I've been alone,_

_and many times I've cried,_

_anyway, you've always known,_

_the many ways I've tried."_

Finn has to pause for a moment then, to swallow past the burn in his throat. Will is blinking quickly, and drops his gaze to Carolina as they sing the rest of the song.

_"And still they lead me back,_

_to the long, winding road._

_You left me standing here,_

_a long, long time ago._

_Don't leave me standing here,_

_lead me to your door._

_"But still they lead me back,_

_to the long, winding road._

_You left me standing here,_

_a long, long time ago._

_Don't keep me waiting here,_

_lead me to your door."_

The class is completely silent as they end their song, until finally one of the mothers tentatively begins to clap. The others join in slowly, until the whole group, including the kids, are cheering and applauding. Finn's face is hot, and he knows it's not just from embarrassment. He and Will both know there was more to the song than a pretty melody; he can see the knowledge of it written all over Will's face.

"Great class, everyone," Will says, but his voice is thick and his words staggered. "I'll see you all next week."

Everyone begins to pick themselves up off the floor, talking softly amongst themselves, not quite willing to break the hushed reverie that's fallen over the class.

Carolina is sleepy and heavy against Finn's chest. He moves her gently out of his lap then stands up, stretching his legs and back before bending over to pick her up. She wraps her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his shoulder as her eyelids begin to droop once more.

Finn spots Will near the door, talking to one of the parents, and begins heading in his direction. Will glances over, and a look of pure panic spreads across his face as he sees Finn's approach.

"Excuse me," he says to the woman, cutting her off mid-sentence. She stops, looking at him curiously, as he gives her an apologetic smile and bolts out the door. Finn stands there, watching, as Carolina snuggles against him.

He turns his face toward her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "Looks like it's you and me, kid," he says, and follows Will's footsteps out the door, wondering how, and when, he'll get this right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine. And I'm not sure there's any such thing as Lima Parks Services, but if there is, that doesn't belong to me either.

**A/N:** So I've been inspired, not just by your lovely reviews, but by listening to the Glee 2 CD. Finn singing "I'll Stand By You," gives me shivers every time I hear it, and really drives his characterization in this story. Also, Mr. Schue's mashup of Young Girl/Don't Stand So Close to Me is so much sexier than I remember! Anyway, this is the last chapter I'll get posted before Christmas, so have a wonderful holiday... hopefully I'll have another chapter up before New Year's!

Finn is pushing Carolina on the swings out back of the community center, completely lost in thought as he wonders if he ought to just give up on getting close to Will again. He knows that people -- even the best of friends -- can grow apart, and he thinks maybe it's time to cut his losses and move on. There's no denying the heat between them -- that much is obvious after their song -- but attraction isn't everything.

Finn knows it's more than that, though. Will had been his mentor, his teacher, his hero since he was a teenager. Will got him through the hardest time in his life, when he thought he'd ruined everything, including his own future, by getting Quinn pregnant. And Will was the only one who understood how crushed he was when he learned the truth -- not because he lost Quinn, but because he lost his baby girl.

Finn is so wrapped up in his morose thoughts, he barely notices when Carolina hops off the stilled swing.

"Mushu," she says, pointing out toward the pond that lays on the other side of the soccer field.

"What?" Finn says, glancing down at her. But by that time, Carolina is off and running, right in the direction of the pond.

"Carolina!" he shouts, chasing after her. She disappears behind a stand of trees clustered near the edge of the water, and his heart leaps into his throat as he imagines her getting hurt, or kidnapped, or falling into the pond. He wonders what he'll tell Quinn, what he'll tell the police, how he'll live with himself if anything happens to the little girl who was supposed to be his...

His panic lasts no longer than the half-second it takes him to skid around the nearest tree, when it changes immediately to relief, then surprise.

"Carolina," he gasps, breathless more from fear than from the exertion. The little girl looks up at him calmly from Will's lap. The older man is slumped against the tree, staring out at the pond. He looks up briefly at Finn, then casts his eyes back out at the water.

"You scared the -- _crap_ outta me," Finn says, correcting himself just in time to keep Carolina from adding a colorful new word to her vocabulary. Probably Quinn won't be thrilled about "crap" either, but it's the lesser of two evils.

Carolina mumbles an apology, then looks up at him through her dark, thick lashes, and Finn's anger melts away. He gives her a little smile and a wink, and she grins at him, the past five minutes completely forgotten.

"So," Finn says, sinking down to the ground next to Will, "you got out of there awfully fast."

Will nods, but keeps his eyes firmly fixed in front of him. "I needed a little air."

"Were you sick?"

"No," Will says flatly. "I was just... overheated."

"It's 82 degrees outside."

"There's a breeze."

Finn sighs. "Look, Will, if you want me to leave, just say so."

Getting no response from the older man, Finn blinks against the stinging behind his eyelids and begins to pick himself up off the ground. "I guess that's my answer," he says, defeated.

"I can't," Will says, so softly Finn isn't sure he heard correctly.

"What?"

"I said, I _can't_," Will grinds out. His voice is ragged and Finn notices his hands are clenched into tight fists at his sides. "I can't ask you to leave."

Finn pauses, then sits back down beside him. "What does that mean?" he asks, heart racing.

"Why did you come to see me?" Will asks, dodging the question.

Finn frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you come to see me as soon as you got into town? Why now?"

Finn chews on his bottom lip, working out what to say. "Hey, Carolina," he says, keeping his voice light. "Why don't you go pick some of those pretty flowers for us to take home to Mommy?"

"They're planted by Lima Parks Services," Will says, glancing over at the neatly-manicured beds. "They aren't supposed to be picked."

"I don't care," Finn says firmly. "Go on, Carolina. Just stay where I can see you." Carolina obediently crawls out of Will's lap and heads over to the flower patch, turning around just once to give Finn what he swears is an encouraging smile.

"Okay," he says, when he's sure she's out of earshot, "here's what's going to happen. I'm going to answer your question, and then you're going to answer mine."

Will finally turns to look at him, and Finn is stunned by the pain in his eyes. Pain and... something else, Finn thinks. Longing, maybe. He hopes, anyway.

"Go on, then," Will says, sounding like a completely broken man.

"I came to see you because I missed you. Simple as that," Finn says. Tentatively, he reaches out a hand and places it over Will's fist, relieved when the other man doesn't pull away.

"Then why did it take you so long?" Will says, voice tight.

Finn is surprised by the implications of Will's question. Is it possible that Will isn't upset that he came around... but that he took four years to do it?

"I wanted to," Finn says, hoping Will can hear how sincerely he means it. "I thought about it every day. But I thought... I thought you'd think I was just some stupid kid, like back then. I thought maybe now that I'm... an adult... things might've changed."

There's a long silence, and Finn holds his breath, not even daring to look over at Will's face. When he finally steals a glance, he can see the other man's jaw clenching and unclenching. Finn rubs his thumb gently over the back of Will's hand, trying in some small way to soothe him.

"I spent a lot of years trying to forget what happened," Will says finally, looking down at Finn's hand covering his.

"That's funny," Finn says, and Will looks up at him sharply. "I spent a lot of years trying to remember."

Something in Will's expression breaks then, and Finn can see all the pain and fear he's been trying to hide. His heart breaking for the older man, Finn reaches out and puts a hand behind Will's neck, pulling his face close. He leans his forehead against Will's, closing his eyes as his mind races.

"Why are you fighting so hard?" he whispers.

"It's all I know," Will says. He pulls away from Finn, but stays close, looking at him earnestly. "You were my student," he says, shaking his head. "When this... when this started, you were underage. You're fifteen years younger than me, and you have this whole amazing life ahead of you. You don't need to be saddled with some old man --"

"Hey, you let _me_ decide what's best for me," Finn says, raising a hand and running the backs of his fingers along Will's jaw to soften the words. "And you aren't old. You're not even forty."

"And _you're_ barely twenty."

"I'm twenty-two," Finn says stubbornly.

"That's barely twenty."

"Why couldn't you ask me to leave?" Finn counters, a challenge evident in his voice.

Will takes a deep breath. "Because I... because I can't stand to see you walk away again."

Finn glances over Will's shoulder, making sure Carolina is still playing quietly in the flowers, then looks back to the older man. He slides his arm around Will's shoulders, pulling him closer, a thrill shivering through him when Will doesn't resist. He presses his lips against Will's temple and breathes a sigh. "So. What now?"

"I don't know," Will says softly. "I feel... completely at sea. I wasn't expecting..."

"Expecting what?"

"This. Any of this. I don't know. I need to... need to think."

Finn nods. It's more than he hoped for, after last night, and he's willing to take it.

"Come to dinner at Quinn's tonight," he says, enjoying the feel of Will's hair, soft against his cheek. "Rachel and Puck are coming up. We can talk after."

Will pulls away slightly, giving Finn a worried look. "I don't know, Finn..."

"It isn't a date or anything," Finn says with a little smile. "Just dinner. Just a former McKinley High student sharing a meal with his former teacher."

"And three former classmates," Will adds.

"So we'll be chaperoned," Finn says, surprised when Will chuckles at his joke.

"Okay," he says, looking a little uncertain.

"Okay?" Finn asks, hardly daring to hope. Will nods, and Finn smiles widely, wishing he could close the distance between them with a kiss, but afraid to push the older man too far today.

"So... seven o'clock?" Finn asks.

"Yeah... seven o'clock."

"Uncle Finn!" Finn looks over at the shout to find Carolina holding out a bouquet of red and yellow tulips, dirt still clinging to the stems. His heart warms at the title, and he can't help the silly grin that spreads across his face.

"Beautiful!" he calls, giving her a thumbs up.

When he looks back at Will, the older man is wearing a genuine smile. "'Uncle Finn,'" he says. "That's nice."

Finn grins. "Well, it's no 'Mushu,' but I'll take it."

The two of them share a laugh, and Finn allows himself to feel the tiniest bit of optimism.

"I should get back in there," Will says, nodding his head at the back of the brick building. "I have another class at noon."

Finn stands up, reaching down a hand. Will hesitates for a moment, then accepts the offering, letting Finn pull him to his feet. They stand there awkwardly for a moment, looking down at the ground.

"So... I'll see you tonight," Finn says, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Will nods. "I'll see you then."

Will starts to walk past him, and on impulse, Finn grabs him, pulling him close in a tight embrace. Will freezes for a moment, then relaxes, his arms coming up around Finn, holding him tight. Finn sucks in a breath, feeling like he's coming apart at the seams. It takes every ounce of self control he has not to push Will up against the tree and say goodbye the best way he knows how.

Finally, Finn releases him, giving him an embarrassed smile. Will turns and waves goodbye to Carolina, then reaches out to give Finn's hand a quick squeeze before he walks away.

Finn watches him until he reaches the building, then turns around, smiling down at Carolina, who's covered in dirt and has a flower petal stuck in her hair.

"Come on," he says, reaching down and taking her hand. "We've done all the damage we can do here -- let's get you home."

----------------

Quinn is pacing in the living room when Finn and Carolina get back.

"How did it go?" she asks, bending over to give the filthy little girl a hug.

"Mommy, look!" Carolina says, holding out her drooping bouquet proudly.

"Oh, wow," Quinn says, arching an eyebrow at Finn and taking the flowers. "These are... _not_ from a flower shop."

Finn shrugs. "You can thank Lima Parks Services."

Quinn rolls her eyes, then leans down to drop a kiss on Carolina's head. "Go on upstairs and wash up," she says, picking a bit of flower petal out of her hair. "Mommy needs to have a chat with your Uncle Finn."

Carolina bounds out of the living room and up the stairs, as Finn watches her with a smile.

"Alright, I need details," Quinn says, pushing Finn toward the couch. "Sit. Talk."

Finn launches into the story, watching Quinn's face shift from pity to hopefullness as she listens.

"Wow," she says softly, as he's wrapping up. "Poor Mr. Schue. I had no idea. All this time, he's been going around like he's sleep-walking... and it's all been because of you."

Finn nods, hardly able to believe it himself. "He's been trying so hard to forget everything that happened. It never occurred to him that I might not want to forget about it."

"So what now?"

"Well, I invited him to dinner tonight," Finn says, giving her a sheepish grin. "I hope that's okay."

"Hmm," she says, pouting playfully. "I was hoping you'd be _my_ date tonight. You know, just like old times."

Finn laughs. "Yeah, but we both know you were always too good for me."

Quinn smiles, but there's something a little sad in it. "I think you've got that backwards."

"No," he says, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a hug, "I don't."

They sit there for a moment, enjoying each other's company, and then Quinn gets up, walking toward the kitchen. "Come on," she says over her shoulder.

"What are we doing?" Finn asks, getting to his feet.

"_You _are going to start cooking."

"And what are you going to do?" Finn says, following her into the kitchen.

Quinn sits down at the table. "_I _am going to watch."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't own; I rent.

**A/N: **TLaWR is back! I took a brief hiatus over Christmas, and may take another over New Year's, but you'll have this long-ish chapter and probably one more to get you through! Thanks yet again to all the lovely people who've reviewed – your words of encouragement keep me going, and put a silly smile on my face all day long. I had a couple of notes about this chapter, but now that I'm writing, I can't seem to remember what they were. Oh! A logistical error on my part. In chapter one, I say that the day is Wednesday, though the rest of the action, which happens the next day, is meant to be a weekend. So let's call that first day Friday, shall we? The song in this chapter is "The Rainbow Connection," sung by none other than Kermit-the-Frog. Also, I have daddy issues. This is likely to become abundantly clear in this and future chapters (if it hasn't already). I tend to idealize father figures and mold them into what I think a good father should be, so if the schmaltz factor is high, I apologize. But it's part of the reason I adore this pairing – they're both so desperate to be good dads, and they both have the opportunity taken from them. Gah. Anyway, hope you enjoy! Oh, and to all the other Winners out there (please tell me I'm the first to coin that moniker. Please. Even if it's not true) – if you haven't already, check out my standalone Winn fic "The Gift," with a little more bang for your slashy buck. So to speak.

* * *

"Would you sit down already?" Quinn says from her perch on the sofa. "You're making me nervous."

"How do you think I feel?" Finn snaps, pausing briefly in front of the hall mirror then turning to her with a panic-stricken look. "How's my hair?"

Quinn rolls her eyes. "For the sixth time, it's fine. So's your shirt. And your shoes."

"And the cologne?"

"Well, I smelled you coming three minutes before you made it to the front door, but at least you don't stink."

"Oh, God," Finn says, lifting up the front of his shirt and taking a sniff. "It's too much. I always put on too much when I get nervous."

Quinn's exasperated laughter follows Finn as he dashes upstairs and into the bathroom. He swipes the hand towel from the rack by the sink and scrubs it over his neck, hoping to rub off some of the stench. He's wishing he had another shirt to change into when he hears the doorbell ring and freezes, suddenly paralyzed by fear.

Shaking it off, Finn takes a deep breath and strides out of the bathroom. He hears Rachel's squeal before he hits the stairs, and lets out a sigh of momentary relief.

"Finn Hudson, I don't believe it," she says, as Finn bounds down the stairs.

"Rach!" He sweeps her into a hug, squeezing her hard. He takes a step back, keeping her at arm's length, and takes a good look at her. She's much the same as she was then, though her features have narrowed somewhat and become a bit more angular. Her hair is shorter, but as thick and glossy brown as ever.

"It's good to see you," he says, and her smile widens. She turns her head to the side to glance at Puck, who's stayed mostly behind her. He steps forward with a slightly strained smile, and holds out a hand. Finn takes it, then reaches out his other hand to clap him on the shoulder.

"Hey, man," he says, and Puck nods, some of the tension draining out of his face. "How've you been?"

"Not bad," Puck says. "Keeping busy. You know how it is."

"Yeah," Finn says with a slight smile. The two fall into an awkward silence as Rachel and Quinn look expectantly back and forth between them.

"Well," Quinn says after a long moment, slapping her hands together and talking in what Finn remembers as her 'cheerleader voice,' "dinner isn't quite ready yet, but can I make anyone a drink?"

"Yes," the three of them chorus. Rachel giggles, and even Puck looks amused. Quinn shakes her head, arching an eyebrow significantly at Finn before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Uh, come on in," Finn says, leading Rachel and Puck into the living room. They sit down on the couch, and Finn takes a seat in the chair across from them.

"The house looks just great," Rachel says, looking around with a smile. "We haven't been here since right after she moved in, and she's just done wonders. Hasn't she, honey?"

Puck nods, absent-mindedly patting his wife's hand, resting on his knee.

"And the yard looks just phenomenal," Rachel gushes. "My dad called me just the other day to tell me he drove past, and wanted her secret to growing geraniums. Of course, I told him it helps to have a green thumb, which he does not. My other dad's better with plants, but he absolutely hates geraniums." Rachel pauses for a breath, then realizes what she's said. "Oh, but I'm sure he'd think Quinn's are lovely. I wonder who does her yard work? Do you know?"

Finn looks around, wondering for a moment if Rachel is talking to him. "Uh... I'm not sure," he says, giving her an apologetic smile.

Rachel bites her lip, looking sheepish. "I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

"No," Finn says, just as Puck says, "Yes."

She slaps Puck's arm playfully, and he grins at her, waggling his eyebrows. Finn watches them with a smile, but there's an undeniable feeling of emptiness inside him.

"I'm sorry," Rachel says, turning her attention back to him. "It's just that we haven't all been together like this since high school. It's... hard to know how to act."

Finn nods. "Yeah, I get that."

"Oh, but I'm so glad to see you," she says, and he can her in her voice how sincere she is. He smiles at her, and this time he means it.

"Same here."

The three of them fall into a not-entirely-uncomfortable silence, though he can see Rachel is positively twitching with the effort not to start babbling. They're saved from further awkwardness when a little blonde tornado whirls into the room, making a beeline for Puck.

"Daddy!" Carolina squeals, launching herself into Puck's lap. Finn's one-time best friend lights up like a Christmas tree as he wraps his arms around his little girl, burying his face in her perpetually messy hair.

"Hey, Lina-loo," he says, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "How's my girl?"

"Good," Carolina says, beaming. "I found a snail today."

Puck makes an appropriately impressed face. "Wow. What did you do with it?"

"I named it Ernie."

Finn chuckles, wondering if she met "Ernie" earlier that day in the tulip bed.

"Hey, what's with all this hair?" Puck asks, tugging on Carolina's long golden mane. "I thought you were gonna talk Mommy into getting you that mohawk?"

"Daddy," Carolina huffs, rolling her eyes and shrugging off his hand. "That's ugly."

Finn snorts. "That's just what I told your Daddy for years," he says, giving Carolina a wink. She grins and ducks her head against Puck's shoulder, suddenly shy. Puck rubs his hand over his now uniformly shorn military haircut, looking offended.

"Did you say hi to Rachel?" Puck asks Carolina, nudging her in Rachel's direction. Carolina smiles at her step-mother, and climbs out of Puck's lap and into hers. Rachel envelops her in a tight hug, whispering a quiet "I've missed you," in the little girl's ear.

Quinn comes in with the drinks at that very moment, and Finn sees the way she pauses, the way her smile falters for the briefest moment before coming back in full force.

"I made 'em strong," she says, putting the tray down on the coffee table. She turns and musses Carolina's hair, reaching down to tweak her ear. "Time for you to go upstairs and play so we can have grown-up time." Carolina makes a face, but does as Quinn says, kissing each of the "grown-ups" -- including Finn -- before trotting up to her room.

Quinn takes a seat in the chair opposite Finn and picks up her drink. Before she can take a sip, there's a knock at the door, and Finn is up like a shot, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste to get out of his seat. Rachel and Puck are looking at him like he's grown another head, but he doesn't have time to explain. He makes a mad dash for the door, pausing only to run a hand through his hair and sniff under his arm before throwing it open.

The ready smile on his face fades and his mouth drops open because holy _shit _Will looks good. And Will is looking at him as if _he _looks good, and Finn is suddenly wishing he'd had a chance to down that drink because his knees have gone all wobbly like a schoolgirl's, and he's pretty sure he's going to pit out his oxford shirt.

"Hi," Will says, holding out a bottle of wine and giving Finn a tense smile.

"Thanks," Finn says, taking the bottle. "And hi. Come on in." He steps aside so Will can walk in, trying to ignore the way his stomach flutters as the older man walks past. He also tries not to be disappointed when Will doesn't lean in for a hello kiss.

"Everyone's in the living room," Finn says, gesturing with the wine bottle. "And dinner should be just about ready."

Will nods and heads for the living room, Finn following close behind. Rachel stops speaking mid-sentence when she sees her former teacher, a look of complete surprise on her face.

"Mr. Schue?" she says, as if she can't believe what she's seeing. "Oh my gosh..."

"Hi, Rachel," he says with a polite smile. "Noah. Quinn." Puck stands up, reaching forward to shake Will's hand.

"Hey, man. Good to see you," he says. If he's surprised, he doesn't show it.

Quinn tilts her chin up as Will leans down to kiss her cheek, giving the older man a warm smile. Rachel steps around the coffee table to hug him, still looking a little shell-shocked. Finn hovers nervously behind them, clutching the wine bottle with increasingly sweaty palms.

"I'll just, uh... I'll just put this in the kitchen," he says, as the former students begin to catch up with their old teacher. No one seems to notice when he leaves the room, pausing to suck in a shaky breath. "Keep it together, Hudson," he mutters under his breath, walking into the kitchen, and putting the wine bottle down on the counter before he can drop it. The smell of baking lasagna permeates the air, but it makes him feel more queasy than hungry. He braces his palms against the edge of the counter, bending his head and trying to think calming thoughts. He's so busy distracting himself, he doesn't hear someone else walk into the kitchen.

"You okay?" Will says from behind him, and Finn jumps, letting out an undignified yelp. He whirls around, not realizing how close Will is standing, and steps on the other man's foot.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," he says, as Will gives him an amused grimace. "I didn't hear you..."

"Finn, it's okay," Will says, and there is a hint of laughter in his voice. Finn, in spite of his embarrassment, thinks that it sounds awfully nice, and that he'd happily do whatever it takes to hear more of it.

They stand there for a moment in silence, and Finn tries to think of something clever to say. Just like old times, he draws a total blank.

"So, Rachel and Noah seemed surprised to see me," Will says finally, and Finn is grateful for the conversation starter.

"Yeah, I didn't have a chance to tell them you were coming," he says.

"It's good to see them," Will says with a smile. "Good to see all of you, together here. Though it does make me feel a little old."

Finn laughs, and Will joins in, and _god _it feels good. A rush of relief floods through Finn, and he starts to think that everything might work out okay after all. He notices the way the corners of Will's eyes crinkle up when he laughs, and the longish lock of hair that curls over his left ear. Suddenly, Finn isn't laughing anymore. He watches Will's face as the older man realizes the mood in the room has shifted. Will's smile slips, and his eyes widen as Finn inches closer. Finn's gaze never wavers as he moves nearer, and he can hear Will's breath quicken. He does smile a little at that, a thrill rippling through him as he realizes how he's making Will feel. Licking his lips, Finn raises his hand, lifting it to Will's face and gently brushing the wayward curl behind his ear.

Finn does an internal dance of joy when Will leans ever-so-slightly into the touch, his eyelids fluttering closed. Finn keeps his fingers behind the shell of Will's ear, letting his thumb trace the line of his cheekbone. Finn wishes he could tell Will how he's missed him, tell him how beautiful he is, and how completely right this feels, but he can't find the words. He's never been good at talking, like Rachel. He's not impetuous, like Puck, or confident, like Quinn. And he definitely doesn't have Kurt's panache. He wishes for a moment that he could channel his friends' best qualities, and use them to help Will understand how he feels.

He doesn't get the opportunity, though, as Quinn rushes into the kitchen, talking loudly and making wild gestures. Finn drops his hand, silently thanking Quinn for the warning as Rachel and Puck follow her into the kitchen. Will opens his eyes, looking a little dazed and -- Finn imagines -- disappointed.

Dinner passes quickly, as the group falls into comfortable conversation, the earlier awkwardness forgotten amid nostalgic jokes and shared memories. Afterward, they move into the living room for coffee, while Puck excuses himself to tuck Carolina in before bed.

Finn leaves Will to chat with Quinn and Rachel as he heads upstairs to the bathroom. He tiptoes past Carolina's cracked door, smiling at the flower-themed growth chart that hangs on the wall beside it. He pauses when he hears a melody coming from the room and steps closer, peering through the space in the doorjamb.

Puck is sitting on the edge of Carolina's bed, stroking the girl's blonde head as he softly sings. Carolina watches him intently, face full of admiration, even as her eyelids start to droop.

_Who said that every wish would be heard,_

_and answered when wished on the morning star?_

_Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it._

_Look what it's done so far._

_What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing,_

_and what do we think we might see?_

_Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,_

_the lovers, the dreamers, and me._

"... and me," Carolina chimes in at the end, in a whisper-thin voice. She blinks a few times, then her eyes stay shut, her head falling sideways onto the pillow. Puck gently shifts her into a more comfortable position, pulling the pink-flowered comforter up around her shoulders and watching her silently for a long moment.

Finn's throat burns, and he swallows down a swell of emotions. He feels like an intruder, but he can't tear his eyes away from the scene in front of him. Watching Puck look at his daughter as if his entire world is bound up in that little pajama-wearing package shakes him to his core, and he feels a fundamental shift in the way he looks at things.

He backs away from the door slowly, careful not to make a sound. A little while later, he hears Puck quietly leave the room and go back downstairs. He's sitting in the darkness in Quinn's bedroom, perching on the edge of her bed, thinking about five years of anger and resentment. Can he let it go so quickly, in the space of a single song?

There's a rap on the doorframe, and he looks up, surprised to find Will standing in the hallway, looking concerned.

"Hey," the older man says, stepping inside the dim room. "We thought maybe you'd deserted the party for good."

Finn smiles softly and shakes his head. "Just doing a little spur-of-the-moment soul searching," he says, tipping his head toward the patch of damask comforter next to him. "Care to join me?"

Will nods, to Finn's surprise, and sits down close enough that their shoulders brush. Finn thrills a little at the unexpected nearness, making a conscious effort not to lean into the touch.

"I've been doing a lot of that, too," he says. "Soul searching, I mean," he adds, at Finn's questioning look.

"Since yesterday?" Finn asks, and Will laughs.

"Since five years ago," he says, glancing up at Finn, squinting a little in the darkness. "Ever since that Christmas, I've... I've tried to forget about it, tried to explain it, tried to make it make sense... but I never could. I never was able to compartmentalize my feelings for you."

Finn's stomach clenches at Will's words. "Are you still trying to?" he asks, holding his breath, half-afraid to hear the answer.

There's a pause, and then he hears Will sigh. "I don't know. Finn, I need to... there are things I have to tell you. It might explain... it might help you understand where I'm coming from."

"Okay," Finn says, nervous, but ready and willing to hear Will out. He owes him that much, after springing all this on him after five long years. "Go ahead."

Will nods, but doesn't speak for several long moments. Finally, Finn hears him take a deep, shaking breath.

"After Terri," he begins, and there's an audible catch in his voice. He clears his throat, then starts again. "After Terri and I split up, I was completely lost. Nothing made sense... especially what happened between you and I. When she asked me to see a marriage counselor with her, I... I don't know, I was willing to try anything at that point, you know?"

Finn nods, reaching out to give Will's hand a squeeze. His fingers are cold, and Finn keeps the older man's smaller hand in his own, rubbing his thumb lightly along Will's.

"Anyway, she'd been seeing this man, at her church. And he was... he seemed very competent. He had a degree, and years of experience. But no matter what he tried, Terri and I just couldn't make it work. Then things with Emma fell apart and –" Will swallows, and Finn can tell he's searching for the words. "And after you, nothing seemed right. I felt guilty all the time, I had these... horrible... nightmares..."

Finn squeezes Will's hand tighter, wishing he could take the man's pain away, and suddenly feeling an overwhelming wave of regret at being the cause of it.

Will squeezes back though, giving Finn a small smile, and goes on. "I decided to go see that same counselor, on my own this time. I was scared to death to tell him anything about you. I was afraid he'd tell someone, that I'd lose my job. He didn't, of course. Doctor-patient confidentiality prevented that. But he did... he did tell me what I'd been so afraid to hear – that I was bad... that there was something... evil... inside me."

Finn shakes his head, but Will carries on over top of his protests. "I was convinced that I was a – a child molester or something. He got me to admit that I'd coerced you into everything that happened, that I manipulated the situation to my advantage and –"

"WHAT?" Finn bellows, unable to contain himself any longer. "That's... how can you... it isn't even..." he sputters, finding it impossible to complete a thought through his haze of outrage. "It wasn't anything like that," he finally manages to say with some coherency. "You know that. I was the one who pursued you, even from the very start. You _know _that," he says again, taking hold of Will's arm and shaking a little, trying to drive the point home.

Will's shoulders are slumped, and he won't meet Finn's eyes. "But I let you," he whispers, and Finn can hear the tears thick in his voice. "I saw what was happening, and I let it continue. It's unconscionable. It's unforgivable."

"It's not," Finn says, pulling Will against him. The older man lets his head fall onto Finn's shoulder, and Finn presses his face into the soft curls, trying to think of something comforting to say. He finally opts for the truth.

"I've loved you forever," he says, voice a little muffled, but words strong. "Or at least, it feels that way. I might've just been some dumb kid back then, but I wasn't so dumb that I'd let a male teacher seduce me if I didn't want it. I wouldn't have let you touch me if I didn't... if I didn't want you to. I'm no good at saying things... or at saying the right things, but that's just... that's just..." Finn trails off, frustrated that he can't get out what he wants to say.

Will pulls away from him, scrubbing a hand over his face and shaking his head.

"I'm really sorry about that," he says, forcing a smile. Finn stares at him, surprised by the abrupt change in demeanor. "It's something I don't talk about very often."

"Oh. O-of course," Finn says, wondering if Will even heard his little speech.

"So you see, that's why I'm having such a hard time with all this. It's something that I need to deal with."

Finn nods, finally feeling like he might be useful. He's no good with feelings and emotions, but he can work with a plan of action. He's always been good at taking action. Of course, it's usually the _wrong _action and ends up landing him in a mess of trouble, but it's a chance he's willing to take.

"Okay," he says, giving Will a smile. "We'll deal with it together."

There's a brief flash of panic in Will's eyes, but he quickly schools his face into a mask of calm. Finn knows better, though. He saw the frantic fear, could almost taste it.

"Sure," Will says, voice high and tight. "Sure, that's what we'll do. Thanks, Finn. Really." He reaches over to give Finn a friendly pat on the thigh, then starts to stand up. Finn grabs his hand, yanking him back roughly.

"Finn!" Will says as he hits the bed sprawling. Finn uses the element of surprise, and moves over top of him before he can right himself.

Finn leans down, his mouth millimeters from Will's ear. "Do you really think I don't want this?" he whispers roughly, pressing his body against Will's, letting the other man know exactly how badly he does want it. He moves his lips over Will's throat, never pausing long enough for a proper kiss, just tasting and touching wherever he can.

Will arches his neck, sucking in a breath as Finn keeps his arms pinned firmly to the bed.

"Finn," he hisses, tugging against strong hands. "_Jesus._"

Finn lets go of one of Will's arms, reaching up to grasp his chin, making sure the older man is looking directly in his eyes. "I want you," he says in a low voice, slowly and clearly. "Don't you ever, ever forget that."

Finn gets up then, and Will scrambles to his feet, one hand going to his neck. He watches Finn like a wounded deer, and Finn feels a momentary spike of guilt over his behavior. But then he sees the heat in Will's eyes and, more importantly, the bulge in his pants, and he knows he wasn't wrong.

"I'll wait for you," he says, breathing heavily. "As long as it takes for you to work this stuff out. But I'm not just going to go away and pretend nothing happened so you can keep living in your safe, normal little world, okay? _Okay?_"

Will nods, a stunned expression on his face.

"Okay," Finn says, mostly to himself. "So. When will I see you again?"

That surprises a laugh out of Will, and the noise cuts sharply through the tension in the air. Finn grins a little, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Monday," Will says. "Come to rehearsal. My Glee kids would love to meet you. You guys are sort of a legend, you know."

Finn laughs, feeling a little lighter. "Monday," he says, taking a breath and letting it out slowly. "Monday."

"We should, uh... we should probably get back down there," Will says, already heading for the door. He turns when he reaches the hallway, giving Finn a searing look. Finn glances down at the front of his jeans, then back up at Will.

"You go on," he says in a somewhat choked voice. "I'll be down in a minute."

**Another A/N:** A note on Quinn's characterization: much thanks and appreciation to **Calli Wall**, for her kind words about my depiction of Quinn in this fic. A lot of time and thought has gone into writing her, perhaps even more so than the boys. I think Quinn is one of the most underrated characters in the show (not to mention, Dianna Agron is a fantastic actress), and I love seeing those moments where her personality is really fleshed out. I came from a fundamental religious background, similar to hers, where sex is never mentioned, and I feel a strong connection with that element of her past. As well, I was raised by a single mother who was strong and devoted and hard-working, and (as it always appeared to me at the time) fiercely independent. That's why I've chosen to write Quinn this way, and also not to pair her with anyone romantically. You do get to see moments of vulnerability, but what you mostly see is what Quinn wants you to see – a sharp, together, shrewd person who has her priorities straight. I hope I'm doing her justice, because her portrayal in this fic is my own personal little tribute to my mom, and all the other amazing single moms out there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** All I own is the DVD and both CDs, while Ryan Murphy et al own Glee and my heart. Now, does that seem fair??

**A/N:** I'm back!! Seems like I've gotten a few new readers since Christmas, and I'm so glad to have you on-board!! Sorry I couldn't update before New Year's, but work was busy, and I didn't have any time to write. Hopefully I'll now be back to normal, and able to post at least one new chapter a week, and maybe more. The song in this chapter is Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me." I have to tell you, I can imagine how much fun it is for the Glee writers to find the perfect songs for each episode... because I nearly squealed myself silly when I flipped this on in the car and realized it's so PERFECT for Will. Actually, Adam's voice is probably more suited to Finn, but the song is just SO Will, and so perfectly describes his feelings and his angst. If you haven't heard the song, go get it on iTunes now -- you won't be disappointed!

* * *

"But what I really need to know is... what was he wearing?"

Finn rolls his eyes, balancing his cell phone between his shoulder and ear as he fumbles for his car keys.

"_That's _what you're concerned about?" he asks, opening the car door and sliding inside. "His _clothes_? Were you even listening to the rest of the story?"

"Finn," Kurt says, voice syrupy-sweet, "you know I love you like a brother, right?"

"Uh huh," Finn says, sounding skeptical.

"And as a brother, I simply cannot allow you to become involved with a man who has more than three pieces of courderoy in his closet. Trust me, sweetie, it's for your own good."

"I thought you were supposed to be helping me," Finn grumbles, starting the car and yanking it into reverse, backing out of his mom's driveway and pulling onto the street. "Shouldn't you be giving me advice on how to be a good little homo?"

"Finn, darling, I am _not_ your fairy godmother. I'm just a fairy. And while I'm so glad you're officially sinking putts for our team, so to speak, there's no instruction manual on how to do this."

Finn sighs, knowing his friend, in spite of not having the same flair for metaphor as he has for fashion, truly means well.

"I know you're right," he says, as he drives the familiar route to McKinley High School. "But I'm so totally lost right now. Just when I think we're making progress, he completely freaks out, and we're back to square one."

"Honey, it's been four days. Give it some time. Now, hoist up those Calvin Kleins and be a man! Just... answer one question for me."

"Okay," Finn says warily, turning down the street that leads to the school campus.

"He wasn't wearing elbow patches, was he?"

"Kurt, he wore those _once_ when we were in school._ Once_."

"Yes, but he didn't wear them ironically," Kurt says, disgusted. "And that is unforgivable."

"You're a snob," Finn says, pulling into the parking lot nearest the choir room entrance with a flutter of nerves. "And a bitch."

"I know," Kurt says, unapologetic. "Miss me?"

"I guess," Finn says, only a little grudging.

"Call me when you get laid. Oh! And don't wear that orange polo with your black jeans. You look like a jack-o-lantern."

Finn looks down at his outfit, sighing in resignation.

"You're wearing it now, aren't you?" Kurt asks.

"Yeah."

"Well, Happy Halloween," Kurt says sarcastically. Finn hears a door open in the background, and a low male voice. "Tony's here, I need to go. Kisses."

"Bye," Finn says, but Kurt hangs up before he can get the word out. Shaking his head, Finn snaps his phone shut and shoves it in his pocket, wondering why on earth he even bothers telling Kurt about his love life when all he gets is snarky replies. But, he has to admit, there's always a grain of truth in what Kurt says... if he's smart enough to figure it out.

Fighting off another round of nerves, Finn gets out of the car and straightens his shirt, worried about how he looks after Kurt's comments. There's nothing he can do about it now, though, short of driving back to his mom's and changing. But Finn can see figures in the windows of the choir room, and he doesn't want Will to think he's running away, so he steels his shoulders and strides toward the door.

The first thing he notices is that Glee Club has grown exponentially over the years. They had gained a few new members Finn's senior year, but now there are probably near thirty kids milling about in the choir room. A group of girls in the far corner harmonize a few lines of an old Whitney Houston song, trying not to giggle as they attempt to "out-diva" each other. A boy sits on one of the risers, clumsily sewing a button onto his costume while a shy-looking young woman behind him leans forward as if she wants to help.

The group looks up as Finn enters, and he gives them an uncomfortable grin and a little wave.

"Hey," he says, glancing over toward the office. "I'm looking for Mr. Schue..."

"He's not here yet," says a girl standing near the piano. She's wearing a Cheerios uniform, and he can't help but smile, feeling a little nostalgic. The girl frowns at him, and he realizes he's looking her up and down in a way that might not seem entirely appropriate.

"Er... uh... thanks," he says, averting his gaze. "I'll just, uh... I'll just wait in the office." Finn heads for the office door, but before he gets there, the main door to the room opens, and Will walks in, looking a little flustered. He gives the group a strained smile, and then his eyes meet Finn's. Finn is overjoyed to see some of the tension drain from the older man's face as he gives Finn a genuine smile.

"Hey," Finn says, stepping closer, but not too close. He's sure Will would be embarrassed by any display of affection in front of the kids.

"Hi," Will says, surprising Finn by stepping forward and wrapping him in a tight, albeit brief, embrace. Finn squeezes back, but releases Will as soon as the other man pulls away.

"Everyone, this is Finn Hudson," Will says, addressing the group. A hush falls over the students, as they all look at Finn, wide-eyed. "I know none of you were here when Finn was on the team, but some of your older brothers and sisters were. Finn was the first football player to join Glee Club, and he took us all the way to nationals in his senior year. He wanted to stop by today to see how rehearsals for the show are going, so let's give it our best and impress him, okay?"

There's a chorus of "okays" and "yeahs" from the group, who slowly migrate to their positions on the risers. There's a Latina girl in the front with wide dark eyes and a fall of chocolate brown hair, and Finn wonders if she's Santana's little sister. The girl looks at Finn as if she knows him, and he gives her a smile. She returns it, then turns to whisper in the ear of the girl standing next to her.

"Okay, gang," Will says, clapping his hands together. "Let's get started. Who wants to lead warmups today?" A hand shoots up in the back, and a boy with flaming red hair pushes through the crowd, stepping down the risers as several members of the group roll their eyes or shoot him a dirty look.

Finn looks at Will just in time to see a fleeting look of exasperation cross his face before being replaced with one of pleasant neutrality.

"Kyle, didn't you lead warmups all last week?" Will asks.

Kyle pushes his dark-framed glasses up his nose, and Finn can see his eyes narrow. "With all due respect, Mr. Schuester, what this group needs is some consistent leadership. If we want to get to nationals next year, we need to end the semester on a strong note. A good warmup session is vital to keeping us vocally loosened up, and we're best when we're loose."

Finn nearly laughs, hearing his words from five years before parroted back by this annoying little geek, and he wonders if Will imparted those words of wisdom on the new group.

Will sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine, Kyle, go ahead." Kyle gives Will a self-satisfied smirk, then turns to the group, ignoring their skeptical looks.

As the group begins its warmups, Will pulls a chair out of his office and moves it close to the piano, patting the back of the seat and looking at Finn with a wry grin. "Might as well get comfortable," he says. "This could take a while."

And he's not wrong. Kyle keeps the warmups going for a good twenty-five minutes. He's pushing for another round of enunciation exercises when Will intervenes. The kids look like they're about ready to stage a revolt, but Kyle is either oblivious to their irritation, or just doesn't care. He goes back to his spot with a huff, glaring at one of the boys who jostles him as he walks past.

Finn watches with a smile, thinking that some things never change. It's not that Kyle isn't talented; Finn could tell from the warmups that the kid has a good, strong voice. But he also has an ego bigger than a house, and a chip on his shoulder to match. Essentially, Finn thinks, he's Rachel Berry in male form. Of course, the kid isn't doomed. After all, Rachel turned out alright. Sort of.

Finn grins as he thinks of Rachel's discomfort at dinner the other night, and how Quinn told him she later cornered the former Cheerio and demanded to know what was going on between him and Mr. Schue. She might be annoying as hell, but she's also damn perceptive, and nosy to boot.

While Finn is reflecting on the meal, Will is getting the group organized, moving the kids around in various configurations, walking them through a few steps of choreography.

"Alright guys, are we all set for the first number?"

The girl in front who might be Santana's sister raises her hand. "Mr. Schue? Jamie's not here. He threw up all over his fetal pig in biology, and got sent home."

Will grimaces a little. "Okay, well, we really need to run the song; there are a few harmonies I'm worried about. I'll take Jamie's part this time through. Carla, would you mind giving Jamie a call after school, make sure he's going to be here tomorrow?"

Carla nods, shooting her friend a nasty look when the girl nudges her suggestively. Her tan face goes a little pink, and Finn thinks the weak-stomached Jamie must be a stud.

Will grabs a guitar and takes his place at the front of the group, and Finn feels his whole body quiver in anticipation. He'd always loved hearing the older man sing, and he's excited to have a front-row seat for the performance.

Will gives Finn a look that is a little nervous, but entirely sexy, as he strums the first few notes of the song. He opens his mouth then, and Finn is unable to focus on anything but his voice, and the words he's singing.

_Hey, slow it down._

_Whataya want from me?_

_Whataya want from me?_

_Yeah, I'm afraid._

_Whataya want from me?_

_Whataya want from me?_

Finn gulps, listening to the words, wondering if Will somehow knew he'd be asked to sing it on this day when he's here to listen. Will's voice is husky as he continues, and Finn feels a lump rise in his throat.

_There might have been a time_

_I would give myself away._

_Oh, once upon a time_

_I didn't give a damn._

_But now, here we are,_

_So whataya want from me?_

_Whataya want from me?_

Will looks up at Finn as he heads into the chorus, the voices of the group joining in behind him. Finn is unable to look away, held in thrall by the song, and the way Will is throwing every ounce of passion in his voice into the words.

_Just don't give up,_

_I'm working it out._

_Please don't give in,_

_I won't let you down._

_It messed me up,_

_Need a second to breathe._

_Just keep comin' around._

_Hey, whataya want from me?_

_Whataya want from me?_

Finn is struck by the lyrics, and how they so perfectly echo his situation with Will. He wonders if Will feels the same way, if he really does want Finn to keep pursuing him, keep coming around.

_Yeah, it's plain to see,_

_That baby you're beautiful,_

_And it's nothing wrong with you._

_It's me -- I'm a freak._

_But thanks for loving me,_

_'Cause you're doing it perfectly._

Will looks up again, giving Finn a little smile as he finishes the verse. Finn returns it, though he can feel the heat in his cheeks as he flushes with a combination of embarrassment and pleasure and desire.

_There might have been a time_

_When I would let you slip away._

_I wouldn't even try,_

_But I think you could save my life._

Will leads the group into the chorus again, their voices joining and growing louder as they finish the song, so that Will's voice can't be heard over the rest of them. Finn claps loudly as the song ends, unable to keep a wide, foolish grin off his face.

"Great job," he says enthusiastically, as the kids beam at him. Will puts his guitar away, suddenly shy and unwilling to meet Finn's gaze. He leads the group through two more songs. Kyle fronts one of them, and Finn has to admit the kid sounds fantastic. Carla sings lead in the last song, her voice lower than Santana's, but strong and clear.

Will reminds the group to work on choreography, and gives them a stern warning to be on time and ready to go at Tuesday's rehearsal. The kids promise to be there early and begin to break up into smaller groups, filtering slowly out of the room.

Finn follows Will into the office, pulling the door shut behind him. He walks up behind the older man and slips his arms around the long, lean torso, burying his face in Will's neck and breathing in his scent of aftershave and laundry detergent.

"That was really amazing," he murmurs against Will's skin, and he would almost swear he feels the man grow warmer beneath his lips.

"Thanks," Will says, a little uncertainly. "It's not a song I know very well -- the kids picked it. But it's... it's rather appropriate, isn't it?"

"Mmm," Finn says, planting soft kisses behind Will's ear, running his hands over the other man's chest. Will muscles tighten under Finn's touch, then slowly relax as he lets out a long breath. Finn smiles as Will leans back against him, tipping his head to the side, which Finn takes as an encouraging gesture.

"Finn," Will says with a sigh, reaching a hand back to cup the younger man's cheek. Finn slides his hands lower, never lifting his mouth from Will's burning hot skin. His fingers brush the waistband of Will's khakis, and he lets them linger there, teasing, for a brief moment before slipping his hands under Will's shirt, fingertips gliding over smooth skin and soft, fine hairs.

"We probably shouldn't..." Will says in a hoarse voice. "Not... not here."

Finn groans against Will's neck, hating to admit he's right. He pulls away reluctantly, though he keeps his arms wrapped loosely against the older man. Will turns in his embrace, looking up at him with wild eyes and a flushed face. Finn can't remember him ever looking so sinfully good.

"I'm going to kiss you now," he says, and Will's eyes go even wider. He nods, looking terrified, but not quite willing to pull away. Finn leans down, his lips hovering over Will's for a long moment before he brushes his mouth against the other man's, in the barest touch possible. Will doesn't respond immediately, but he doesn't pull away, either. Finn's tongue darts out, tasting Will's bottom lip, and eliciting a gasp from the older man. He presses his lips more firmly to Will's, reveling in the feel of the kiss as Will throws himself into it.

Will's body is pressing deliciously against Finn's, and Finn can't help but wish they were somewhere else -- anywhere else.

Will pulls away then, and Finn sucks in a breath, the sudden loss an almost-physical pain in his chest.

"Finn, there's something I need to tell you," Will says, voice ragged.

"Okay," Finn says, quirking a half-smile at the other man, leaning back against the office door and taking up Will's hand. "Tell me anything."

"I just... I just got some news," Will says, swallowing hard. "Principal Figgins called me into his office before rehearsal to let me know..."

"What?" Finn prompts, squeezing Will's hand encouragingly. "Big raise?"

Will gives him a half-hearted smile. "No, unfortunately. No, Figgins wanted to tell me that he's... he's hired back Emma Pillsbury."

The smile slips from Finn's face, and he looks at Will, confused. "What?"

"We've had three interim counselors in the last five years," Will says, dropping Finn's hand. "He called Emma to offer her job back, and she accepted."

"So... so what does this mean?" Finn asks, feeling like he's been punched in the gut.

Will shakes his head. "Nothing. I mean... nothing, I think."

"You and she... you never... I mean, you were never..."

"We dated," Will says quickly. "But you knew that. It... it ended almost as soon as it began. And then she -- she was gone. I haven't seen her in years."

"So now what?"

"I... I don't know," Will says, running a hand through his curls and looking around the small office, agitated. "I just thought I should tell you. I thought you'd want to know. It doesn't mean..."

"Doesn't it?" Finn says, knowing what Will is about to say. "It doesn't mean she's going to bat those big doe eyes at you like she did before? It doesn't mean you'll take one look at her and give up... everything... to follow her around like a little lost puppy?"

"Finn," Will says, his brow creasing. "That was never... Emma and I were never... all that serious. I was confused back then. Really confused."

"Oh, and you've got it all figured out now?" Finn says, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

"That's not what I'm saying --" Will begins, but Finn raises a hand, cutting him off.

"Forget it. I may have been a dumb jock back then, but even I wasn't too stupid to see how you fell for her hook, line, and sinker. Do you think this time is going to be any different?"

Will's eyes are cloudy with pain, and though it wrenches Finn's heart, he can't bring himself to comfort the man.

"Finn, I _know _this time will be different. I don't want that; I don't want _Emma_."

"Really?" Finn says, unable to keep the harsh note out of his voice. "You don't want that? Don't want what she can give you?"

"What's that?" Will says, looking completely lost.

"A normal life. A legal marriage. Kids," Finn says, choking over the word. "Isn't that what you paid that therapist to tell you you wanted?"

Will frowns. "Finn, you're not being fair --"

"No," Finn says, with a harsh laugh. "I'm not. Look, I've gotta go. Quinn's expecting me for dinner."

"It's not even four," Will says, reaching a hand up to Finn's arm, not disguising his hurt when Finn flinches away.

"Carolina's back, so we're eating early," Finn says, feeling hot, angry tears spring to his eyes. Not wanting Will to see, he spins around, wrenching open the door. "I'll see you," he says in a choked voice, striding the choir room and out the back door. He doesn't stop 'til he's in his car and the engine is revving. He looks up just once, hoping to see a figure in the door, but there's nothing there.

Feeling completely empty, Finn guns the engine and peels out of the parking lot, cursing himself for his own stupidity.

**A/N again:** Sorry for the sort-of cliffie, but I needed some conflict! Emma's a character I've never written, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull off her voice. But hey, I'll try my best! Also, Quinn's back in the next chapter. I just watched the DVDs, and I have some ideas for where I want to see her character go. Thanks again to all the reviewers – I know I say it every time, but they make me so darn happy. And yes, they keep me writing faster. I'm not too ashamed to manipulate them out of you! ;o) Oh, and I have a couple ideas for future fics – some dark Finn stuff, both with Will and with Kurt. I also have a fluffy Finn/Kurt, another Will/Finn, and a Puck/Kurt that I'm turning over in my mind. Any interest in reading any of those??


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** If possession is 9/10s of the law...?? Nope. No, still don't own them.

**A/N:** I was going to wait a little bit before posting this, you know, draw out the suspense, but let's face it, I need to get to the good stuff (i.e. the making out) and that's not going to happen for a few chapters, so I need to get a move-on! Very little Will/Finn interaction in this somewhat shorter chapter, but there is quite a bit of Quinn. The song here is "Bitch," by Meredith Brooks, which I found highly appropriate. I was originally going to go with Christina Aguilera's "Can't Hold Us Down," but I really liked the "I'm a child, I'm a mother" line in the song I chose. This chapter is mostly to set up future plot development – hope you enjoy!

* * *

Finn pulls into Quinn's driveway, praying she's at home. He has a death grip on the steering wheel, and his jaw is clenched so hard he's beginning to get a headache. He can't believe Emma Pillsbury is coming back to McKinley, back into Will's life. He's beginning to feel some remorse over the temper tantrum he threw in Will's office, but he's just so damn scared out of his mind that he's going to lose everything with a single flutter of her false eyelashes.

"Jesus, Hudson. Melodramatic much?" he grumbles to himself, unlatching his seat belt and dragging himself dejectedly out of the car. He's heading up the little path toward the front door when he hears music drifting from the backyard. Curious, he ducks around the side of the house, following the music as it grows louder.

Quinn is lounging in a teal green plastic chaise, wearing a red swimsuit with tiny black polka dots and large, dark sunglasses. There's an old radio on the grass next to her, and what looks like a white walkie-talkie sitting beside it. A baby monitor, Finn thinks, remembering seeing one at his cousin's house just after she had her third kid. Quinn is wriggling her hips in the narrow chair, shimmying to the beat of the song as she hums along. Finn doesn't know the words, but it's a tune he's heard before. He smiles when Quinn starts singing along with the chorus, still oblivious to his presence.

_I'm a bitch, I'm a lover_

_I'm a child, I'm a mother_

_I'm a sinner, I'm a saint_

_I do not feel ashamed._

_I'm your hell, I'm your dream_

_I'm nothing in between._

_You know you wouldn't want it any other way._

Finn grins, feeling some of his anger and tension melting away as Quinn gets into the song. He feels a momentary pang of regret that they haven't stayed close over the years since high school, and vows to make more of an effort to be in her life, and Carolina's.

_I'm a bitch, I'm a tease_

_I'm a goddess on my knees._

_When you hurt, when you suffer_

_I'm your angel undercover._

_I've been numb, I'm revived_

_Can't say I'm not alive._

_You know I wouldn't want it any other way._

Finn claps as Quinn ends the song, and she jumps nearly a foot out of her chair, a hand clutching at her chest.

"Finn, _God,_" she says, voice shrill. "What were you trying to do -- make Noah a single parent?"

"Sorry," Finn says with a laugh, schooling his face into a picture of remorse when she glowers at him. "Nice song, though. It's somehow appropriate..."

Finn lets out a yelp and ducks as Quinn picks up the towel from the ground beside her and chucks it at him. But she's laughing as she does it, and Finn figures his life probably isn't in danger.

"What's with the monitor," he asks, nodding at the handset. Quinn frowns, and even with the sunglasses taking up half her face, he can see the worry evident there.

"Carolina's got a fever," she says, picking up the monitor and checking the volume. "Rachel said she didn't eat very well this morning, and she was sick in the car. I gave her some Tylenol and she's sleeping now, but I can't get the fever down. I dug this out of the garage -- I figured that way I could hear her if she got sick again."

"Poor kid," Finn says, nudging Quinn's legs aside so he can sit at the bottom of the lounge chair, the plastic tubing sagging under his weight. "What do you think is the matter?"

Quinn shrugs. "She probably picked up a bug or something. I doubt it's anything major, but I just hate it when she's sick."

"Yeah," Finn says, sympathetically. "It's hard to watch when you know you can't really do anything to help."

Quinn nods. "That, and cleaning throw-up out of a four-year-old's hair is _not _the way I want to spend my day off."

The two of them share a laugh, and then Quinn stops, cocking her head at him and pushing her sunglasses up on her head, hazel eyes narrowing.

"What are you doing here?" she asks bluntly. "I thought you weren't coming for dinner until 6:30."

Finn can feel his expression darken, and he looks away, not sure he's ready to discuss it.

"You're pissed," Quinn says, and it isn't a question. Finn sighs, telling himself he should have known better than to think he could keep anything hidden from her.

"I'm not pissed," he says, though he can hardly keep the irritation out of his voice. "I'm just... upset."

Quinn raises an eyebrow. "Okay," she says. "Why are you," she raises her fingers, making air quotes, "_upset_?"

Finn chews on his bottom lip, not quite sure where to start. In the end, he begins with his arrival at Glee rehearsal, and doesn't leave anything out, even though he blushes furiously when he tells Quinn about his encounter with Will in the office.

"He kissed you back?" she says, leaning forward with a note of awe in her voice. "How was it?"

Finn, thrown a bit off-track by her question, thinks back. It's funny -- in the moment, he hadn't even stopped to realize it was the first time Will had really responded to him physically.

"It was... perfect," he says, remembering the feel of Will's lips against his, the way the older man had given into him so willingly. Suppressing a shiver, Finn shakes his head. "But what happened after that..." he sighs, "not so perfect."

Quinn gives him a quizzical look, and he explains the bombshell Will had dropped on him, including his conviction that Will would ultimately choose Emma, who could give him the "normal" life he so desperately longed for. When he finishes, Quinn gives him a long look, and he squirms a little under her scrutiny.

"You really are a complete moron, aren't you?" she asks, shaking her head.

Finn stares at her, too surprised to be angry. "Huh?"

"All Mr. Schue was trying to do was to be honest with you, and you're too thick-headed to realize that's a good thing."

Finn struggles to process what Quinn is saying. "You know, you don't have to call him 'Mr. Schue' anymore," he says, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. He falls silent again as Quinn glares.

"Clearly," she says, her voice clipped but even, "you have taken one too many footballs to the head. He was giving you exactly what you wanted! He hugged you in front of the entire Glee Club, he kissed you back when you made your move, and he was up front with you about something that was probably incredibly difficult for him."

Finn sighs, feeling uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "Well, when you put it like that..." he mutters.

"You feel like the ginormous toolbox you are?" Quinn finishes for him. "Have you talked to Kurt? What did he say?"

Finn nods. "I called him on the way over here. He said -- and I quote -- 'That Bambi bitch is bat-shit crazy.'"

Quinn makes a face that is half-disapproving, and half-amused. "Colorful," she says. "And alliterative."

"Yeah," Finn says, shaking his head and wondering for the second time that day why he bothers to ask Kurt's opinion on... well, anything.

"But it's not very fair to Ms. Pillsbury," Quinn goes on. "I mean, how do you even know that's what she wants? People change, Finn. And you know how things are -- a job is a job. She might be just as uncomfortable with the idea of coming back here as you and Mr. Schue."

Finn ducks his head, feeling a little ashamed, but knowing that Quinn is right. Still, he can't help but feel a sense of impending doom when he thinks about Ms. Pillsbury's return. The two of them sit in silence for a moment, the radio playing softly in the background, until there's a crackle of static over the baby monitor.

Quinn has it in her hand in a flash, turning up the volume and holding it close to her ear. "Stupid batteries," she mutters, giving it a shake. Finn hears another crackle, then a cry that's so pathetic it nearly rips his heart out. Quinn is up and through the back door before he can even stand. He follows her, feeling bad for Carolina, but selfishly glad to have a distraction from his current predicament.

Later that night, Finn lays in bed, the smell of vomit still in his nose, even after two showers and an impromptu load of laundry. He's never seen a kid puke so much, and he has to wonder how someone so tiny could have so much grossness inside. Shuddering a little, Finn tries to think about something else, but his only other option is Will, and he's not ready to start fretting over that again just yet. He tries in vain to fall asleep, but his mind is going a mile a minute, and he feels like he's about to come out of his skin.

His cell phone starts buzzing beside his bed, and he jumps a little bit, startled. He picks it up and blinks at the bright glow of the caller I.D. It's Will, calling for the third time that evening. Finn considers letting it go to voicemail, as he had before, but he knows he won't sleep until he hashes things out with him.

He flips open the phone and presses it to his ear, swallowing down a surge of nerves as he does so. "Hello?" he says, proud that his voice only shakes a little.

"Finn," Will says, and the relief in his voice is like a sucker punch to the younger man. "I'm glad... I'm glad I got you."

"Yeah," Finn says, then pauses to clear his throat. "Sorry I wasn't around earlier. Carolina was sick, and Quinn and I --"

"Is she okay?" Will asks, sounding concerned.

"Yeah. I mean, I got a first-hand look at everything she's eaten in the last week, but I think she's starting to feel better." Finn pauses, not quite sure what to say. "Um... how are _you_ feeling?"

"Like a complete idiot. Finn, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just sprung that on you the way I did."

"No," Finn says quickly. "I'm glad you did. You were being honest. And that's good."

"It is?"

"Well, that's what Quinn tells me," Finn says, and Will chuckles, low and deep. The sound sends a shiver racing through Finn. "I'm just... worried, I guess," he says, hating how needy and uncertain he sounds, but not able to control it.

He hears a sigh from the other end of the line. "So am I," Will says, and Finn aches to hold him, comfort him. "Please believe me when I tell you that Emma is no threat to you. What she and I had is long over."

"I know," Finn says quietly. "But... I just got you back, and I'm... I'm afraid to lose you. I don't even know if I ever _had _you in the first place."

"You did," Will says in a husky voice. "Trust me. Look, I know as well as you that this isn't going to be easy. I've got a lot of stuff that I need to work through. I'm scared as hell that I'm going to screw something up, or even worse, screw _you _up."

"Will," Finn says, trying not to sound exasperated, "you don't have to worry about me. I'm a big boy now; I tie my own shoes and everything."

Will laughs at that, and Finn feels a flood of relief. He's just about to ask Will when he can see him again, when his call waiting beeps.

"Hang on a second, Will," he says, pulling the phone away and glancing at the screen. "Quinn's beeping in."

"Sure," Will says. "Tell her I hope Carolina is feeling better."

Finn smiles, then clicks over to the other line. "I put Will on hold to take your call," he says, with a laugh in his voice. "So now you know how much I love --"

"Finn?" Quinn says, and he can hear immediately that she's crying. He sits up in bed, suddenly alert, a shiver of dread going through him.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm in the E.R." Quinn says in a shaking voice. "Carolina's fever spiked, and she just kept throwing up. I couldn't get her to stop, and I... I..."

"Okay," Finn says, soothingly, tossing back the covers and jumping out of bed. "It's okay. I'm on my way now."

"They don't know what's wrong," Quinn says, her voice so thin and wavery Finn can barely make out what she's saying.

"Okay," he says again, pulling on his jeans. "Just sit tight. She's going to be fine. I'll be there in ten minutes." There's nothing but silence on the other end, and Finn wonders if she's hung up, until he hears a sniffle.

"Quinn," he says, trying to put some authority into his voice. "It's going to be alright. I promise you." Finn grabs his keys and bolts up the stairs, not bothering to leave him mom a note. "I'm on my way."

**A/N pt. 2:** Okay, is it just me, or do these kids' eye colors change every episode?? Sometimes Quinn's eyes look brown, sometimes they're much lighter. Anyway, I went with hazel here – if anyone knows Dianna Agron personally and has the down-low on her eye color, let me know! Also, we should see Emma in the next chapter, or at the very least, the one after that. Puck and Rachel will return too, and maybe Kurt. I'm searching for the perfect song for Emma, but so far, nothing's clicked. I have the scene worked out though, and a corresponding song for Finn, so hopefully I won't be stuck for long! Thanks as always to those who review – it's better than fudge and kittens and cable TV all in one!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I have myself convinced that once I reach 100,000 words, they will be mine. Expect heavily-padded disclaimers and author's notes from this point forward. Also, St. Rita's is a real hospital in Lima, and no, I don't own it.

**A/N:** Chapter eight, and the plot is in full swing! At least, I hope it is... My goal here was to show some different facets of Will's personality – he's been so angst-ridden and conflicted so far, and I wanted to show that that's not all there is to him. I also really wanted to have a quiet moment between Will and Finn, just the two of them, with no outside pressures or fears. It was, by far, my favorite snippet that I've written thusfar. Also, the song in this chapter is "My Girl," by the Temptations, which I do no own. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The early light of pre-dawn filters in through the waiting room windows, washing the hospital halls in a faint rose-colored hue. The pediatric unit at St. Rita's is quiet, with only the low hum of various pieces of medical equipment and occasional soft beeps to break up the silence.

Finn sits on a hard bench with his head bent and cradled in his hands, the small of his back pressed against the wall. His eyes are closed, but he can't sleep, and wouldn't want to anyway. He can feel the presence of another body suddenly standing near him, but he doesn't bother looking up. A hand lights on the back of his neck, rubbing small, soothing circles against his skin, and he arches into the touch.

"How is she?" Will asks, sitting down on the bench beside him. Finn opens his eyes and casts a sidelong glance at the other man, who's dressed in a ratty t-shirt, grey sweatpants and sneakers. His perpetually unruly hair is sticking out in several places, and Finn can tell he's just rolled out of bed.

"They don't know anything yet," Finn says with a slight shrug. Will's hand is still cupping his neck, and he slowly stretches his arm around the younger man, pulling him to his side. Finn is pliant against him, leaning his head on Will's shoulder and soaking in his warmth. It's not the most comfortable position, especially as Finn is significantly taller than the older man, but it feels so good... and so _right_... that he just doesn't care.

"How's Quinn holding up?" Will asks, his fingertips tracing a lazy pattern over Finn's bicep. Finn is finding it difficult to concentrate, as Will's mere nearness is driving him to distraction.

"She's a champ," he says, with a slight catch in his voice. "She's bossing everyone around, telling the doctors what to do." Will chuckles, and Finn can feel his shoulder shaking beneath his cheek. "But," he continues, with a worried edge, "I'm afraid she's about to lose it."

"She's tough," Will says, squeezing Finn's arm reassuringly. "In fact, I've never met a tougher woman. If anyone can handle this, it's her."

"You're right," Finn says, raising his head and giving Will a faint smile. "It's just..." Finn stares down at his hands, trying not to get emotional. "I sort of feel like I just got them back in my life, you know? Like I was saying about you? And I wish there was something more I could do to help."

"I know," Will says softly, pulling Finn toward him again and leaning his forehead against Finn's temple. He presses a gentle kiss against the skin at the base of Finn's hairline, and Finn doesn't bother to supress a shiver. "But you're 'Uncle Finn'," Will murmurs, his lips ghosting lightly over Finn's cheek, then down his jaw. "Just your presence here probably means more than you know."

"Umm hmm," Finn mumbles, struggling to concentrate on Will's words, utterly focused as he is on what the man's mouth is doing _besides _speaking. Finn has to remind himself that they are in a hospital waiting room, and now is _not _the time to go all weak-kneed school-girl on the other man.

Finn twists his head around, capturing Will's lips in a quick, but intense kiss that leaves him breathless. He pulls away with a crooked smile, glad to see a similar silly grin on Will's face, as well.

"Feel better?" Will asks, and Finn nods.

"Getting there," he says, reaching down to twine his fingers through Will's. "Thanks. And feel free to make me feel better whenever you want." Will chuckles, then his gaze drifts over Finn's shoulder, his expression suddenly full of concern. Finn turns and sees Quinn standing just beyond the edge of the waiting room, leaning against the wall with her eyes on the ceiling. Finn gives Will's hand a last squeeze and stands up, making his way over to Quinn with the other man close on his heels.

"Hey," Finn says, and Quinn turns a blank, empty gaze on him. "Any news?" Quinn shakes her head, and Finn is struck by how young she looks, like a kid herself.

"Noah and Rachel are sitting with her now," she says, her voice sounding rusty and unused. "She's stopped vomiting, but they had to give her Finnergan, which knocked her out."

Finn nods, though he doesn't really know what Quinn is talking about.

"At least she's resting," Will says from behind Finn, and Quinn breaks into a small smile when she notices him.

"Mr. Schue," she says warmly, "thank you for coming."

"Of course," Will says, placing a hand on Finn's shoulder and stepping closer. "You know what Carolina means to me," he adds, and Finn has to swallow hard when he hears the catch in the older man's voice. He leans back against Will's chest, relishing the man's heat and strength.

Quinn's eyes fill with tears, and she looks away quickly, nodding. "I know," she says hoarsely. Finn looks at the ground, tracing the mosaic pattern of the tiles with his eyes as Quinn takes a moment to gather herself.

"Would you... would you like to see her?" she asks, gesturing back toward Carolina's private room. The heavy, wide door is shut, and there's a plastic teddy bear at eye level with Carolina's name in blue dry erase marker across the bear's stomach.

"I don't want to intrude..." Will begins, and Quinn arches an eyebrow at him.

"Intrude?" she says, with a little bit of her old fire back in her voice. "Please. You're family. And Carolina will be happy to know Mushu came to see her."

Will laughs, a deep, pleasant rumble that echoes through Finn and makes him smile. "Alright then," he says. "I'd love to see her."

Quinn smiles and turns, leading the way back to Carolina's room. Will reaches out, taking Finn's hand as they walk through the door. Finn steps into the room first, purposely avoiding looking at the tiny figure in the bed with all the tubes and equipment hooked up to her. Rachel and Puck are sitting in a vinyl-covered loveseat under the window, which is clad in yellow duckie-printed curtains.

Puck's eyes immediately flicker to Finn's and Will's joined hands, though his stony expression never falters. Rachel's eyes widen almost imperceptibly, and she gives Finn a vaguely questioning look. He's sure she'll corner him later, demanding a full explanation, and he's surprised to find he's almost looking forward to it.

Will, apparently not as squeamish as Finn, steps up to Carolina's bed. Finn follows behind him, not willing to let go of him just yet. Will reaches out with his free hand, resting it on the still little girl's pale cheek. She doesn't stir, but Finn watches, mesmerized, as her chest slowly rises and falls in a steady rhythm. He finds it calming, to see her and know she's breathing easy.

Will stays there for a long moment, looking down at the little blonde head peeking out from the covers, then turns, breaking his hold on Finn's hand and pulling Quinn into a hug. Finn hears her let out a shuddering breath against the older man's shoulder, but her cheek, when she turns it toward him, is dry.

Finn stands there, feeling a little awkward, until Rachel gets up and crosses around Carolina's bed, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're here," she says fiercely in his ear. "Both of you." Finn nods, unable to answer her over the burning in his throat. He considers going over to Puck, to offer him comfort or support of some kind, but he can't quite bring himself to bridge that last gap between them.

"Why don't we go get you some coffee?" Will asks, holding Quinn at arm's length and giving her a fatherly frown. "And you could probably use something to eat."

"I'm fine," she says, with a roll of her eyes.

"Then why don't you show me how to get to the cafeteria?"

Quinn narrows her eyes, lips pursed as she gives him a suspicious look. "Okay, fine," she says, finally relenting. "But your reverse psychology won't work on me; I'm not hungry."

"Okay," Will says, but there's a slight smirk on his face. He meets Finn's gaze, and the younger man shakes his head with a smile, amazed at Will's goodness, and even more amazed that someone like that could want him.

"Does anybody need anything?" Quinn asks, before they walk out the door. Rachel and Puck both decline, pointing to the still-full styrofoam coffee cups sitting on the pressed wood tray table in the corner. "Finn?" Quinn says, turning her gaze on him. "Want to come with?"

"You two go on," he says, waving a hand. "I'll just stay here. If you guys don't mind," he says, turning to look at Rachel and Puck. Puck doesn't say anything, but Rachel shakes her head.

"Of course not."

Will and Quinn head out into the hall, and Finn perches on the edge of a straight-back chair near the door. He spots the guitar leaning against the wardrobe in the corner, and clears his throat, tipping his head in that direction.

"You still play?" he asks Puck, who responds with a brief nod.

"I keep trying to get him to perform at some of the local venues," Rachel says, oblivious to the tension in the room. "There are plenty of clubs in Dayton that seek out fresh local talent. But, he only sings for me and Carolina." Rachel looks over at Puck fondly as she says this, as Finn sees his face soften.

"We thought maybe we'd sing for Carolina," she goes on, smiling past the pain in her eyes, "but she's been sleeping so well, we don't want to disturb her."

"I'm sure it wouldn't," Finn says, remembering the dinner party, when he happened upon Puck singing Carolina to sleep. "It might help relax her more."

Rachel thinks about this. "You might be right," she says finally. "What do you say, Noah?"

Puck's face says he thinks the idea is total crap, but Rachel is already grabbing the guitar and handing it to him. He takes it from her as if it's a live snake that's going to bite him, and looks around the room, a little panic-stricken. Finn remembers he's always been like this; always hated to sing alone in front of others. He knows whatever Puck might sing to Carolina is probably private, but he can't help wanting to hear anyway. He sits back in his chair, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, as Puck strums a few clumsy notes on the guitar. He looks over at his wife, who gives him an encouraging smile, and he begins to sing.

The tempo is slower than the original song, and Finn thinks there's something haunting about the way he's singing the words, soft and low.

_I've got sunshine_

_On a cloudy day._

_When it's cold outside_

_I've got the month of May._

_Well, I guess you'll say_

_What can make me feel this way?_

_My girl, my girl, my girl_

_Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl._

Finn has to look away, unable to watch Puck's face contort with emotion as he sings. Rachel joins him on the next verse, her voice quieter than Finn's ever heard. They sound so... _perfect _together. Finn realizes he's never heard them sing like this before, just the two of them.

_I've got so much honey_

_The bees envy me_

_I've got a sweeter song_

_Than the birds in the trees._

_Well, I guess you'll say_

_What can make me feel this way?_

_My girl, my girl, my girl_

_Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl._

They get to the last verse, but when Puck opens his mouth, nothing comes out. Finn looks up, and his gut twists when he sees the tears on Puck's cheeks. Rachel looks over at him, her own eyes glittering, and Finn starts singing, fumbling the words a bit, but getting the tune right. Puck glances at him sharply, but when Finn meets his gaze, there is only gratitude there.

_I don't need no money, fortune, or fame_

_I've got all the riches, baby, _

_One man can claim._

_Well, I guess you'll say _

_What can make me feel this way?_

_My girl, my girl, my girl_

_Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl._

_Talkin' 'bout my girl._

_I've got sunshine on a cloudy day_

_With my girl._

_I've even got the month of May_

_With my girl._

Rachel and Finn finish singing, while Puck plays the last chord. Carolina hasn't moved once throughout, but Finn can see her breathing is as calm and even as before. He feels a presence in the doorway and turns, seeing Will and Quinn standing there, their arms around each other. He wonders how much they heard. Quinn is holding a cup of coffee, and while there's a smile on her face, Finn can see the almost-imperceptible shaking of the styrofoam in her hand.

Later, Will asks Finn for a ride home. His car had been in the shop, and he'd taken the bus into the hospital that morning. Finn is moved that he would go to such lengths to be with him and Quinn and Carolina, especially knowing the reputation of the Lima Public Transit System.

Neither of them speaks on the way back to Will's apartment, but Will's hand is in Finn's, their twined fingers resting on Finn's thigh. It's almost noon, and Will has offered to make them lunch -- an offer Finn was quick to take him up on. His stomach is growling audibly by the time Finn pulls into the parking garage, and he gives Will a sheepish grin.

Together, the two of them up the stairs and into the hall. Will drops Finn's hand to check his pockets for his keys, and Finn hates the sensation of loss he feels at losing even that small amount of physical contact. They turn the corner to the back portion of the hallway, toward Will's door, when a body coming from the other direction smacks directly into Finn, knocking the wind out of him.

"I'm sorry!" he says, putting his hand out reflexively to steady the other person. It's a woman, he realizes, as he looks down a good solid foot at the top of her red head. Her _flaming_ red head. The woman tips her face up, looking at him with impossibly wide, impossibly large brown eyes.

"I am _so_ sorry," she says, backing away quickly and smoothing out her turquoise blue summer sweater. She glances up again at Finn, then cocks her head, recognition registering in her face.

"Finn? Finn Hudson?" she says, with a confused smile. "What are you...? Oh," she says, her gaze finally landing on Will, a few inches behind Finn. "Will..."

"Emma," Will says warmly, stepping forward to wrap her in a friendly, but quick hug. Finn can't help the stab of jealousy he feels like a knife in his belly, but he tries to swallow down his feelings, plastering a wide smile on his face.

"Ms. Pillsbury!" he says cheerfully, wrapping his long arms around her and nearly lifting her off the floor.

"Oh, my," she says with a small laugh, looking mildly uncomfortable as she steps out of his embrace.

"Emma, what are you doing here?" Will asks, his voice light but curious.

"Yeah, I didn't know you were back in town," Finn adds, feeling that same stupid grin stretching his face. He knows he probably looks like an idiot, or a serial killer, but he can't honestly think up a better expression.

"I just got in last night," Emma says, her gaze lingering on Will. Finn notices her hair is longer now, though as immaculately styled as always. Her outfit is bright but professional, her pencil skirt falling in a slim line just below her knee, with yellow patent heels giving her a little height. Her face is a little older, Finn thinks, but lovely in that odd way that some of the boys used to talk about. Though, if he's honest, it wasn't her face they were usually discussing.

"How was the move?" Will asks, and Finn nods, trying to appear interested.

"Not finished yet," she says, fidgeting a little with the bow at the waist of her sweater. "I'm not here permanently until the week before teacher conferences, but Principal Figgins wanted us to meet to discuss my contract, so... here I am."

"Here you are," Finn says, with a slightly hysterical laugh. Emma looks at him with a smile, but there's concern in her eyes.

"I'm sorry to just barge in on you like this," she says to Will, and her smile is genuine, and only for him. "I was going to ask if you'd like to have lunch. As friends," she adds quickly, casting a nervous glance at Finn. "Because that's what friends do. They have lunch. Together."

"Of course," Will says, with a slight strain in his voice. Finn wonders if he's the only one to hear it. "I was actually just getting ready to throw something together for Finn and I, if you'd like to join us."

Emma looks back and forth between the two of them, clearly confused, though she manages to keep her smile in place.

"Alright," she says, "if you don't mind the intrusion."

"Of course not," Will says, giving Finn a significant look.

"Not at all!" he adds, in his strange, too-happy voice. "Glad to have you! Glad you're back!"

"Well... thank you," Emma says, widening her eyes at Will as if to ask if there's something wrong with her former student.

Will smiles, shrugging his shoulders, and ushers them both toward his door. He puts the key in the lock and holds the door open as Emma steps inside. Finn follows, casting Will a worried look. Will reaches out, grasping Finn's shirt, and yanks him close, their bodies pressing against one another for a much-too-brief moment. Will inclines his head, putting his mouth close to Finn's ear.

"Behave," he whispers, reaching down to give the younger man a playful tap on the rear end. Finn feel his eyes go wide as saucers and he bolts through the door, just as Emma turns around with a smile.

**A/N: **See? Will can be playful, too! And I drew Finn's characterization in that last scene from Vitamin D, when he's all hopped up on Sudafed and is inappropriately happy. Next chapter will have more Emma and more Quinn, but probably less Puck. I have a hard time writing him, so he's turning into a mute :oP Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by the end of the week. Thanks for reading – your reviews are greatly appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **The only Glee I own is the kind I feel when belting out "True Colors" in my car, only to realize the 60-year-old man at the red light next to me is watching me like I've grown a second head. I also don't own the songs in this chapter, which are "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks, "I'm Too Sexy," by Right Said Fred, and "I Can't Make You Love Me," by Bonnie Raitt. I also don't own karaoke. Though I do have a karaoke machine.

**A/N:** This chapter is really long, and really song-heavy. But, that's what you get when you make your characters go to a karaoke bar! It's getting late, so I may have missed some typos or grammatical errors – my apologies if there are glaring mistakes. Also, about the rating: this chapter gets a little more mature in parts than past chapters, but I still don't quite think it merits an M rating. However, I'm relatively new here, so if I'm wrong, someone please feel free to let me know!

* * *

Emma Pillsbury glances nervously around Will's dining room, her hands fluttering like delicate birds in her lap and at her throat, as she gives Finn a tentative smile. Finn smiles back tightly, tapping his fork rhythmically against the edge of the table. The silence hangs heavy between them, and Finn casts a longing look toward the kitchen, where Will is putting the finishing touches on their lunch.

As if in answer to his unspoken prayer, Will steps into the dining room, balancing three heaping plates in his arms. He places one in front of Emma and then Finn before putting down his own.

"It's not much, but it's the best I could whip together without a trip to the grocery store," he says, sitting down with a smile. Finn watches him, feeling a genuine grin tug at the corner of his mouth.

"It's great," he says softly, and Will looks up, catching his gaze. Finn swears he sees a faint blush work it's way across the man's cheeks, and he quickly looks away, pleased.

Emma is staring down at her plate, her brow creased in concern.

"Erm, I-I don't mean to be difficult," she says, looking up at Will with a worried smile, "but do you happen to have any divided plates? I just... I have this thing about the food touching..."

"Oh!" Will says, shaking his head sheepishly. "Of course. I can't believe I forgot about that. Uh, I don't have any, unfortunately."

Emma nods, looking at her lunch warily, though Finn suspects she's trying to put on a brave face. She swallows hard and reaches down, picking up her fork and turning it over, closely inspecting the tines.

"I have an idea," Will says, getting out of his seat and whisking away Emma's plate. "Finn, why don't you go ahead and eat? I'll be right back."

Finn opens his mouth, half wanting to ask Will not to leave him alone with _her _again, but the older man has disappeared into the kitchen before he can even formulate the thought, and Finn and Emma are left to their silence.

"So, Finn," Emma says a moment later, clearly uncomfortable, "how's school? You're at OSU, right?"

"I graduated," he says, trying desperately to keep a harsh note out of his voice. After all, she had hundreds or even thousands of students during her first tenure at McKinley -- how can Finn expect her to remember every last detail?

"Oh. Well, congratulations!" she says brightly. "And what are you doing now?"

Finn picks at his salad, moving the spinach greens around on the plate and very consciously avoiding making eye contact with Emma. "I just took a job with an advertising firm in Columbus."

"Oh, that's wonderful. And how do you like it?"

Finn clenches his teeth, trying not to be annoyed. He tells himself that Emma is being polite, that whatever she once had with Will is over, and that he shouldn't take out his insecurities on her.

"I don't know yet," he says, giving her a tense smile. "I start a week from next Monday," he explains, at her confused look.

"I see. Well, best of luck," she says, looking up, relieved, as Will comes back in. He puts her plate down with a flourish, and Emma breaks into a sunny smile. He's fashioned makeshift dividers out of tin foil and placed them in a formation resembling a peace sign on Emma's plate.

"I hope that'll do," he says, taking his seat again. Emma nods, the smile never leaving her face.

"It's perfect," she says softly, her eyes going all liquid and dreamy.

Finn watches the scene, hands clenched on either side of him around the edge of his seat, steaming. Will attempts to engage him in conversation as they eat, but Finn finds himself unable to respond in anything other than terse, monosyllabic answers.

Emma, for her part, seems entirely oblivious to anything but Will, as the two former co-workers catch up on the last couple years. Will shoots Finn worried glances every so often, and Finn, like a petulant child, is glad to see his discomfort.

When Will gets up to clear the table, Finn decides he can't take anymore.

"I'll do it!" he says, jumping out of his chair and nearly tipping it over. Emma and Will stare at him, surprised, but before either can say anything, Finn is gathering up plates and glasses and bolting for the kitchen. Once inside, he dumps the pile of dishes in the sink and leans against the counter, gritting his teeth. His whole body is taut with tension, and he feels a little like a ticking time bomb, ready to blow. Though he knows his anger at Emma is irrational, he holds it close, like a security blanket.

He feels Will standing behind him before he hears him, the warmth from his body radiating against Finn's back. Will reaches out a hand, resting it lightly on Finn's shoulder, and the younger man can feel his muscles tense under the gentle touch.

"Finn," Will says, and there's something both fearful and chastising in his voice.

"I'm sorry," Finn grates out, knuckles white as he clutches at the counter-top. "I just... I can't..."

"I know," Will says in a hushed voice. "It's been a long, stressful day, and you weren't expecting this. I understand." Will runs his hand up and down Finn's back, rubbing out the tight knots in his shoulders, and Finn begins to feel himself relax by degrees.

After a moment, he spins around, catching Will's wrist in his hand and holding him still. "What am I to you?" he asks, voice pleading. Will's eyes widen, and he shakes his head, an edge of panic creeping into his expression.

"Wh-what do you mean?" he asks in a whisper, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder, toward the doorway.

Finn pulls him closer, bringing them chest-to-chest, keeping a tight grip on his wrist. "I want to know," he says slowly, leaning down so his face hovers just inches above Will's, "what I mean to you."

Will licks his lips, eyes darting to either side. His pupils are huge and inky black, leaving just a thin ring of green iris showing. Will swallows, and Finn watches his adam's apple bob. He lifts his free hand, tracing a finger down the older man's throat, eliciting a noise somewhere between a gasp and a sigh.

"Tell me," Finn whispers, brushing his lips against Will's, sliding an arm around his waist and pulling him impossibly closer.

"I-I don't know," Will stammers, a hitch in his voice. "This is all happening faster than I can process it."

Something flashes in Finn's eyes. He grabs Will's other arm and, in the blink of an eye, pushes the other man forcefully against the refrigerator, scattering magnets and old receipts.

Both men watch, breath held, as a plastic magnet in the shape of a music note goes skittering across the floor, making what sounds like a racket in the stillness of the kitchen. When Emma doesn't charge in to see what's the matter, Finn turns his attention back to Will, pressing against him, nudging his knee in between Will's legs.

"Fast?" he says incredulously, with a soft but bitter laugh. "I've been waiting for you for five fucking years."

Something in Will's face softens, then, and Finn finds he can't tear his gaze away from the older man. Will tugs his arm gently out of Finn's grasp, raising his hand to Finn's cheek in a gentle caress.

"You're so beautiful," Finn whispers, and Will smiles a little.

"You always did have a way with words," he says, running the pad of his thumb over Finn's bottom lip, coaxing a smile out of him.

"No, I didn't," Finn says, biting down gently on the digit, tasting salt on Will's skin.

Will chuckles, eyes going dark and hooded as he watches Finn's mouth. "No," he says, "you didn't." Will drops his hand and the two men stare at one another, heat smoldering between them. Finn lowers his head just as Will tips his face up, and the two bump noses. Finn suppresses a laugh, placing an apologetic kiss on the bridge of Will's nose.

"Sorry," he whispers, feathering more light kisses along the other man's brow.

Will smiles, letting his eyelids flutter closed for a brief moment. "We should get back out there," he says with a resigned sigh.

Finn frowns, though he has to admit Will's right. Reluctantly, he steps back, letting the other man duck around him. He grabs Will's hand as he goes past though, giving it a squeeze and giving Will a look he hopes says everything he's too afraid or too bumbling to say with words. He wants to tell Will he loves him, loves the way he feels when he's with him, but he's afraid to push the older man too far or too fast.

So instead he keeps his sentiments to himself and follows Will back into the dining room, hoping he doesn't look as flushed and turned on as he feels.

Fortunately, Emma barely glances at him, instead giving Will a curious stare.

"Problems with the dishwasher," Will says with a nonchalant shrug.

Emma nods, a little skeptical, then holds up her cell phone. "Bad news," she says, though Finn can tell she's trying to contain a smile. "I just got a text from Principal Figgins -- he's called a team-building meeting."

"Oh, hell," Will says, running a hand through his hair, looking ruffled. "When?"

"Tonight," Emma says, and Finn almost swears there's an evil glint in her eye.

***

"So, what exactly is the purpose of this?" Finn asks, leaning in close to Will to be heard over the thumping music.

Will rolls his eyes, sharing a conspiratorial grin with Emma, who's sitting across from him at the little round table. Finn tells himself he doesn't care, but he can't help the little knot of jealousy that's growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Figgins does this every time we have a new hire," Will says, raising his voice over the escalating pounding of the bass. "He thinks it's good for us to spend time together socially, but it's really just an exercise in awkwardness for everyone involved. I figured since Emma is on her second term at McKinley, we might escape the torture."

"Sorry!" Emma says loudly, then puts a hand to her mouth with a giggle. She's halfway through her second drink, the little blue paper umbrella perching precariously on the edge of the glass. Finn assumes she's feeling pretty good, because she finally stopped gagging every time she looked at the sticky tabletop about a half hour ago.

Finn turns his attention to the stage as Ken Tanaka launches into a decidedly disturbing rendition of "Edge of Seventeen," trying to keep a straight face as his former coach gets into the groove.

Finn can't hold back a snort when Ken belts out the verse:

_He was no more than a baby then_

_Well, he seemed broken-hearted_

_Something within him_

_But the moment that I first_

_Laid eyes on him all alone_

_On the edge of seventeen._

Under the table, Finn stretches out his leg, tapping Will's foot with his own. Slightly in front of him, Will turns over his shoulder and raises an eyebrow at Finn's suggestive smile. With a laugh and a bemused shake of his head, Will nudges back at Finn's foot, hooking his sneaker around Finn's leg and moving it seductively up his calf.

Finn feels the corner of his mouth turn up as Will's shoelaces tickle the back of his leg where his jeans have been hiked up a few inches. Casting Emma a surreptitious glance, he scoots his chair closer to Will, keeping his hand hidden under the table as he rests it gently on the other man's leg.

He waits, biting his lip nervously, to see how Will will react. When the older man makes no move to stop him, Finn slides his hand up Will's denim-clad thigh, slipping it between his legs, his fingertips brushing the other man's inseam as he inches upward.

He risks taking a peek at Will's face, and finds that the man's cheeks are flaming, and he's biting down hard on his lower lip. With a self-satisfied little smile, Finn lets his hand creep closer to Will's zipper, running one finger beneath the flap of fabric that covers the metal closure. Will's leg is quivering beneath him, and he can feel an almost unnoticeable jerk of the man's hips.

Finn flattens his hand, dragging his palm upward as Will begins to harden beneath his touch. He can see the man's chest rising and falling in a quick, labored rhythm, and Finn wants nothing more than to tackle him to the ground and press his body against every inch of him.

He looks over at Emma again, who's swaying and singing along with Coach Tanaka as he winds down his song, completely oblivious. Will finally turns his head to look at him, and Finn catches his breath. Will's eyes are cloudy with desire, his eyelids heavy and his mouth slightly open. He looks good enough to eat, Finn thinks, and is just about to suggest they excuse themselves to the bathroom, the parking lot, behind the bar... _anywhere _they can get a few minutes alone.

But before Finn can lean in close to propose this, the DJ calls Will's name, startling the both of them. Finn snatches his hand away, doing his best to keep himself from looking guilty. Will scoots his chair back with a clatter, looking around wildly as though he's just come out of a trance.

He doesn't get up immediately, instead reaching for one of the karaoke slips scattered on the table. He scribbles something down on it, keeping it half-covered with his hand.

"Think of something else to sing already?" Emma asks, craning her neck to take a peek.

"No," Will says, sliding the piece of paper a few inches to his right. "Something for Finn." Finn takes the slip, his fingertips brushing Will's for an instant as he pulls the scrap of paper toward him. Will gets up then, tugging his shirt down as low as it will go and walking cautiously toward the stage.

Finn glances at the slip of paper, and feels a flush of both embarrassment and pleasure warm his face.

_You Drive Me Crazy_, it says in Will's slanted scrawl. Finn smiles, tucking the piece of paper in his pocket and turning his attention to the stage. Will is standing somewhat uncomfortably behind the mic stand, shuffling his weight from foot-to-foot. Finn waits for the music to start, but nothing happens. Finally, a long moment later, Will opens his mouth, and begins to sing in a low voice.

_I'm too sexy for my love_

_Too sexy for my love_

_Love's going to leave me_

The entire bar breaks into applause as the music starts up, the audience bopping and cheering to the electronic beat. Will grabs the mic stand, pulling it closer and striking an exaggerated pose.

_I'm too sexy for my shirt_

_Too sexy for my shirt_

_So sexy it hurts_

_And I'm too sexy for Milan_

_Too sexy for Milan_

_New York and Japan_

_And I'm too sexy for your party_

_Too sexy for your party_

_No way I'm disco dancing._

Finn laughs as Will does a quick disco move, yanking the mic out of the stand as he does so and hopping off the stage, strutting out into the audience. Finn cheers as Will throws himself into the chorus, dancing up to their table and wiggling his hips around. He's so caught up in watching Will, he almost doesn't notice Emma watching _him_, her head cocked, an inscrutable look on her face.

His smile falters for a moment, but he shakes it off, clapping along with the crowd as Will sings.

_I'm a model, you know what I mean_

_And I do my little turn on the catwalk_

_Yeah on the catwalk, on the catwalk, yeah_

_I do my little turn on the catwalk._

Will spins around as he sings, shaking his ass and eliciting a roar of appreciation from the audience. Finn is laughing so hard by the end of the song, his side is beginning to ache. He's completely entranced by Will, just as he was all those years ago.

Will runs back up onstage as the song winds to an end, turning around at the last second and bringing the mic close to his lips.

_Am I'm too sexy for this song._

The applause is so thunderous Finn is sure it's rattling the walls and shaking the very foundation of the bar. He joins in, shaking his head with a smile as Will comes back to the table and slides into his seat without a word.

Emma leans across the table, still clapping, a soft smile on her face. "I think you've got quite a fan club," she says, and Finn can't miss the way her eyes flicker to him for a moment before looking back at Will.

Will shrugs, looking embarrassed, then sneaks a glance at Finn. He smiles, and Finn feels his chest tighten, losing his breath yet again as he watches the other man.

"Emma Pillsbury, you're up," the DJ says, and Will and Finn begin clapping. From a table somewhere behind them, Figgins lets out a cat call.

Emma stands up slowly, smoothing down the lines of her dress and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She walks carefully up to the stage, but instead of going to the mic, she walks over to the DJ, leaning in close and talking quietly in his ear.

Finn and Will exchange a look, and the older man shrugs. Emma walks over the mic stand and gives the audience a tense smile.

"Slight change of plans," she says, slipping the microphone out of the stand and glancing back at the DJ, giving him a nod. The music starts up, and Emma clears her throat before opening her mouth to sing.

_Turn down the lights, turn down the bed_

_Turn down these voices inside my head_

_Lay down with me, tell me no lies_

_Just hold me close, don't patronize_

_Don't patronize me_

Finn feels his jaw drop a little, but he can't help it. Emma's voice is higher than the original song, and she wobbles a little over some of the lower notes, but she sings true, and her words are unmistakable. Finn's stomach clenches, and he has the sudden certainty that _Emma knows._

_'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't_

_You can't make your heart feel something it won't_

_Here in the dark, in these final hours_

_I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power_

_But you won't, no, you won't_

_'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't_

Will looks at Finn over his shoulder, and his eyes are worried. Finn feels a moment of desperate fear, certain Will will panic at the thought of Emma knowing about their relationship, setting them back years. He worries that Will will be taken back to that time when he was seeing the counselor, when he believed he was at fault, was in some way bad for wanting Finn, for caring about him.

Emma goes on with the next verse, and though Finn watches her face, it stays neutral throughout. She looks out over the heads of the audience, never meeting his eyes, or Will's.

_I'll close my eyes, then I won't see_

_The love you don't feel when you're holding me_

_Morning will come and I'll do what's right_

_Just give me 'til then to give up this fight_

_And I will give up this fight._

Emma begins the next chorus, and Finn realizes how quiet it's become in the bar. There's a hush over the entire room as the song ends, and then finally after a long moment, Will begins to clap. The rest of the audience joins in, but Finn sits there, unable to move, rooted to the spot by fear and trepidation. Emma comes back to the table, sitting down with a smile that is half-sad, half-worried.

The three sit in silence for a moment, none of them even glancing up as the DJ calls the next singer. Finally, Finn can take it no longer. He stands up abruptly, pushing his chair back. Will and Emma look up sharply, both startled by his sudden movement.

"I, uh... I think I should get going," he says, stumbling over the words.

Will's eyes widen, and he starts to get out of his seat. "Okay, just let me --"

"No," Finn says, holding out a hand to stop him. "No, you should... you should stay here. I just... I need to go. You can get a ride with Ms. Pillsbury, right?"

Will's brow creases with worry, but he nods. "Sure, as long as it's fine with her."

"Oh. Of--of course," Emma says, looking as if she wants to say more, but staying quiet.

Finn nods, swallowing hard. He feels like the walls are closing in, and he knows he has to get out of there.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Will asks quietly, an edge of uncertainty in his voice.

"Sure," Finn says, running a hand through his hair. "I'll call you."

Finn hears both Will and Emma say goodbye, but he's already halfway to the door. He chances one last look back at Will, who's watching him go sadly. Finn turns away, hunching his shoulders as he walks out of the bar and into the warm, humid night.

A/N: Okay, so no Quinn in this chapter as promised, but she'll be returning next time. Promise. For real this time. Next chapter might be a short one, but the one after that should be fairly meaty, and should have plenty of the "good stuff" (otherwise known as hot boy love).


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I'm back! Thanks so, SO much to all of you who stuck by me through the hiatus, who emailed to check in on me and see if everything was alright. Your concern and your loyalty means the world to me. I still want to respond to all reviewers individually; just be patient with me – I'm slow! This chapter contains a lot of graphic m/m content, and as such, I've upped the rating to Mature. I'm also a little rusty after so long away, so please excuse any major errors or typos or clunky writing. I'm sure I'll ease back into it!

Disclaimer: I own not a thing. _You Are my Sunshine _belongs to Bing Crosby, _You are the Sunshine of my Life _to Stevie Wonder, and _Jealousy _to Natalie Merchant.

The days slide into one another with quiet monotony, as Finn ticks away the minutes checking his phone, hoping for a text or a voicemail or _some _sign of life from Will. With the same illogical stubbornness his mother swears he got from his father, Finn refuses to break first, choosing instead to fret and worry over whether Will's angry with him, rather than try to make it right.

By Friday morning, Finn is beside himself, convinced he's wrecked any chance of having a happily-ever-after, or _any-_after with the other man. He hasn't forgotten that he promised to call Will the day after the karaoke debacle, but an irrational and persistent corner of his mind keeps whispering that if Will wasn't so upset, he would have called first.

Desperate for a distraction, Finn decides to head for the hospital Friday morning. Quinn had told him of Will's visits, which mysteriously never coincided with his own. It's hard on Finn to sit and watch Carolina, looking so small and frail in her bed, but he knows it's important that he be there for Quinn and Rachel and yes, even Puck.

Quinn's text from the night before had been grim: more tests, no conclusive results, no improvement. Finn chides himself for being so caught up in his own melodrama on the drive to St. Rita's, telling himself that he ought to be more concerned with his friends, who have _real _problems.

The halls of the children's wing are again quiet as Finn walks to Carolina's room. He knows that in just a few short hours, the whole floor will be teeming with energy and noise as classmates and siblings get out of school and come to cheer up their loved ones. He smiles at the image, remembering yesterday's visit from Carolina's kinder-music class. Will hadn't been with them; instead, a harried older woman who oversaw the rec center's music department accompanied the children, hushing them when the got too rowdy and herding them out of the room after an all-too-brief visit.

Finn raises his hand when he reaches Carolina's door, ready to knock. The door is slightly ajar, and he can hear singing coming from inside the room. Pausing, he leans closer, tilting his head to listen.

It's Quinn. He can hear her voice, soft but strong, as clear and lovely as it ever was in school. He strains to make out her words, and catches a snippet of a familiar melody.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are gray._

Finn bows his head, moved by the vulnerability in Quinn's voice. There's a slight pause in the singing, and when she begins again, the tune has changed somewhat.

_You are the sunshine of my life,_

_That's why I'll always be around._

_You'll never know dear, how much I love you._

_Please don't take my sunshine away._

A mash-up, Finn thinks to himself. She's singing a mash-up to Carolina. He feels a burn start in the back of his throat as tears sting his eyes. He knows he shouldn't be standing there eavesdropping, but he can't bring himself to move away, or to interrupt Quinn's song.

_The other night, dear, as I was sleeping,_

_I dreamed I held you in my arms._

_You are the apple of my eye,_

_Forever you'll stay in my heart._

Finn nudges the door open a few inches with his shoe, peering around the edge into the room. Quinn is sitting in the chair next to Carolina's bed, the girl's hand tiny and pale in her own. It's the first time Finn has Quinn's face so open, and his heart breaks for her as he watches.

_When I awoke dear, I was mistaken_

_And I hung my head and I cried._

_You must have known that I was lonely,_

_Because you came to my rescue._

_And I know this must be heaven,_

_How could so much love be inside of you?_

Quinn pauses and takes a long, shuddering breath, and Finn can see tears rolling down her face.

_You'll never know, dear, how much I love you..._

Quinn stops, tipping her face down to press a kiss against the back of Carolina's hand. "Please don't take my sunshine away," she whispers, and her shoulders heave with a silent sob. Finn watches, unable to look away, as she buries her head in her hands and cries softly, the only other noise in the room the quiet beeps from the machines and the whispering hush of the oxygen tank.

Finn looks on, paralyzed by uncertainty and insecurity, until Quinn's tears dry up and the trembling of her shoulders finally stills.

"You can come in if you want," she says, still staring at the small form in the bed. Finn starts, surprised that she knows he's there, and by the steadiness of her voice.

Sheepishly, he pushed the door open and pads softly inside, reluctant to break the quiet reverie that's fallen over the room. Quinn looks up as he walks to Carolina's side, and gives him a half-hearted smile.

"Eavesdropping is not a particularly attractive quality," she says, but her eyes and voice betray her gentle teasing. Still, Finn flushes, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," he says, suddenly feeling shy. "I didn't want to interrupt you. You sound great," he adds, then feels stupid for saying it.

Quinn smiles then, and it looks genuine. "Thanks. We've all been singing to her as much as we can. The doctors say it keeps her calm, makes her feel comforted."

"Has she been awake at all today?" Finn asks, gingerly moving Carolina's arm and perching on the edge of the bed.

Quinn shakes her head. "She was so exhausted after yesterday, and overwhelmed by the noise. She threw up most of the night, so they've got her pretty drugged up right now."

Finn swallows over the lump in his throat, reaching out to brush a strand of golden hair out of the little girl's innocently sleeping face.

"Anymore tests?" he asks.

"Hepatitis, mono, swine flu, you name it," Quinn says, smiling a little as Carolina turns her face toward Finn's touch. But Finn can see the worry shading her eyes dark hazel. He reaches across the bed, taking her hand in his and squeezing tight, hoping the physical contact will give her more comfort than his fumbling sympathetic words can.

Quinn squeezes back, and Finn can see the way she steels herself, straightening her shoulders and clearing the fear from her face as she gives him a bright smile.

"So," she says, giving his hand a last squeeze before letting go and leaning back in her chair, arching her back in a tired stretch, "you're going to the concert tonight."

Finn looks up sharply, a swift pang of panic radiating through his chest. "The what?" he says, though he knows full well what Quinn is talking about.

Quinn watches him shrewdly for a minute, then her face twists into a scowl. "What have you done?" she asks, anger bringing the usual sharpness back to her voice.

"I... I, uh... what?" Finn says, looking around as if for an escape hatch.

"Don't try that stupidly innocent act with me, Hudson," she says. "I know you too well; it won't work."

"It's not an act," Finn mutters under his breath, though he's certain she hears him.

"You did something dumb." It's not a question. Finn nods. "And now Will is pissed." He offers a half-shrug, not entirely sure of the answer himself. "And instead of going to him and fixing it, you came here to avoid the whole situation like the emotionally-stunted idiot you are."

There's a pause, and Finn looks at her from under his lashes, feeling his cheeks flame.

"That's pretty much the gist of it, yeah."

Quinn sighs, shaking her head. "Will you boys never learn?" she says, though Finn gets the distinct impression she's not looking for a response. "Why do you have to make the situation so much more difficult than it needs to be? You love him, he loves you. Stop whining around like a couple of pre-menstrual girls and get naked already."

Finn's eyes widen. "Uh, thanks for the advice... _Kurt_."

Quinn raises an eyebrow. "Am I wrong?"

"No," Finn says, grudgingly. "Dammit."

Quinn chuckles, not bothering to look contrite when Finn shoots her a glare. "So... concert? Tonight?"

"Yeah, yeah," Finn says with a scowl. "I'm going. I'll even go early and apologize for being a -- what did you say? A pre-menstrual girl."

Quinn gives him a knowing smirk, and Finn can't help but grin a little in response. He has to admit that Quinn is nearly always right; the only problem is she knows it.

"Better get moving," she says, glancing up at the clock over the TV before looking him over head-to-toe with a disapproving frown. "Looks like Cinderella is going to need all the time she can get to get ready for the ball."

"I don't like you," Finn says, standing up and smoothing out the rumpled blankets. "You're really not a very nice person."

"I know," Quinn says genially. "I can't imagine why you were so hung up on me all those years."

"Two words. Hot tub. Bikini."

"That's three words."

"See? I knew I didn't like you."

Quinn laughs, and the sound washes over Finn like a beautiful symphony. It's a sound he hasn't heard much over the last few days, and he feels a great sense of relief in it. He smiles down at her and walks around the bed, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Call me tonight," she says, waggling her eyebrows. "I want details."

***

The McKinley High School End-of-the-Year Concert hasn't changed much since Finn was in school. He can hear the nervous buzz of the Glee Club members in the hallway outside the auditorium as soon as he opens the door. There are balloons and streamers hung up around the doors to the auditorium, and a steady stream of parents is pouring inside. He joins the group, a spike of nervousness twisting through his belly.

He's almost to the door when an idea occurs to him. He glances around, feeling guilty at even thinking it, but none of the parents seem to even notice his presence. Biting his lip and casting a last glance at the door, he slips out of the line and ducks into the side hallway.

The Glee kids are warming up, singing scales while Kyle, his unmistakable red hair standing out like a beacon, leads them. Sucking in a breath, Finn heads directly for him, ignoring the quiver of dread and anticipation in his stomach.

Finn waits patiently until the group finishes, then reaches out a hand, tugging on Kyle's crisp white tux shirt. The boy turns around, an impatient and hassled look on his face. His lip twitches a little disdainfully when he recognizes Finn, and he eyes darken suspiciously.

"Hey, man," Finn begins, giving him a trademark grin. "I need a huge favor."

Kyle lifts one sculpted eyebrow, and a sudden image of Kurt flashes through Finn's mind.

"And you're asking me to perform this favor five minutes before a performance?" Kyle says, disbelief and annoyance at war in his voice.

"Uh... yeah," Finn says, beginning to lose confidence in his plan. "Sorry, dude. I know it's last minute, but... it's really important."

"Uh huh," Kyle says, skeptically. "So is nuclear disarmament. However, you don't see me jetting off to Kyoto right this second."

"Huh?" Finn says, totally losing track of the conversation. "Nevermind. Just..." His mind races, trying to think of something, anything that will get him what he wants. "How'd you like to make some cash?" he says finally, hoping he stuffed that fifty in his wallet before he left the house.

There's a gleam in Kyle's eye, and Finn thinks maybe he's managed to say the right thing for once.

"How much?" Kyle says, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

"Fifty bucks now," Finn says, digging in his pocket. "And fifty later. I'm good for it."

Kyle looks him up and down, obviously trying to make a decision. "I'm sure you are," he says finally, though his voice belies his doubt. He heaves a breath, checks his watch, then gives Finn a hard look.

"Alright. What's this favor?"

***

Finn waits for his cue behind the risers, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. He's now broke, not to mention $150 in debt, after promising the band a hundred bucks for their compliance. But it'll be worth it, he thinks, to see the look on Will's face. Later, he'll apologize, say everything he needs to say, and the two can get on with their lives and, hopefully, their relationship. But he's got something else he needs to say first.

Correction: he has something he needs to _sing_.

The band finishes the last of the Glee Club's songs, and the audience roars, giving them a standing ovation. The lights go down briefly, but slowly come back up at the band continues to play. Finn takes a breath and steps out from behind the risers, grabbing a mic from Kyle as he walks to center stage.

Finn glances quickly into the audience, sees Will and Emma sitting side-by-side, and begins to sing.

_Ooh, jealousy._

_Is she fine, so well-bred_

_The perfect girl, a social deb?_

_Is she the sort you've always thought_

_Could make you, could make you what you're not?_

_Ooh, my jealousy._

Finn doesn't dare look into the audience anymore, terrified of what he'll see there. But no one's run him off the stage yet, and he takes that as a sign to continue.

_Is she smart, so well-read_

_Are there books, are there novels by her bed?_

_And is she the sort that you've always said_

_Could satisfy your head?_

_Ooh, jealousy._

_Ooh, my jealousy._

There's something that sounds like a gasp from the crowd, and Finn looks out, almost against his will. It's hard to see with the lights shining in his face, but he can just make out what he knows is Will's silhouette, and Emma's smaller one beside. He steels his face, making sure his message is perfectly clear, and prepares to finish the song.

_Does she talk the way I do?_

_Is her voice, is her voice reminding you_

_Of the promises, the little white lies, too?_

_Sometimes, tell me, while she's touching you_

_Just by mistake, accidentally, do you say my name?_

_Ooh, jealousy._

_Ooh, my jealousy._

The applause is tentative at best when Finn finishes, and as the stage lights dim, he can see confused expressions on the faces of many. He glances out at Will's seat, but the other man is no longer there. Emma's gone, too, and Finn feels his stomach drop. The Glee kids have cleared off quickly, and he turns, wandering backstage with a horrible ache beginning to settle in his chest.

Before he realizes what's happening, he feels a vice-like grip on his arm as he's yanked forecfully into the storage closet used by the band members for their instruments.

Finn doesn't have time to get even an indignant word out before he's pressed up against the concrete wall, one very pissed off Glee Club director in his face.

"What... in the hell... were you _thinking_?" Will hisses, shoving his hand against Finn's chest for emphasis. Finn's eyes go wide at this unexpected reaction. He's surprised by Will's anger, and he find himself unable to put together a coherent sentence.

"Do you want to get me fired?" he goes on, his voice growing harsher by the second. "Is that what you were trying to do? Or did you just want to embarrass me in front of the entire student body and all their parents?"

Finn shakes his head, breath catching in his throat. "No," he says, barely above a whisper. "That's not... I didn't..." He stops, trying to calm the racing of his heart, and then starts again. "That was never my intention."

Will backs off a few centimeters, but doesn't allow Finn any ground. He's breathing hard, and his eyes are blazing. For one horrified moment, Finn wonders if the older man is going to cry.

"I'm sorry," Finn says, hearing the desperation in his voice. "I never meant..."

"To hurt me?" Will says. "To hurt Emma? If that wasn't your intent, you really missed the mark."

Finn swallows, feeling tears stinging his eyes and wondering how this all went so horribly wrong. "I just wanted... I just wanted her to know... wanted _you _to know..."

"Wanted me to know _what_?" Will says through his teeth.

"That you're... that you're mine," Finn says in a rush, closing his eyes as though ready for Will to throw a punch. When there's no response from the other man, Finn cracks open an eye. Will's expression is... like nothing Finn has ever seen. There's anger and frustration and hurt written all over his face. But there's something more, something Finn has only caught before in flashes and stolen moments. Something that he thinks might be abject desire.

"So you decided to announce publicly, _in front of the whole school_, that I'm yours?" Will asks slowly, and Finn nods, suddenly feeling very young and very stupid. "Did you ever stop to think that people might wonder why you would do such a thing? That it might raise suspicions about what happened between us when you were a student? That maybe I could lose my job, my whole future, over some silly prank?"

"I didn't think --"

"No, you didn't," Will says, cutting him off. "What did you expect would happen, Finn? Did you think I'd declare my undying love for you in front of God and country? Or that I'd shame Emma in front of everyone on her first day back? What did you hope would be the outcome of this little stunt?"

Finn blinks, trying to process everything Will is saying, but his mind keeps getting stuck on one phrase.

"You... you love me?" he asks, cringing at the uncertainty in his voice.

Will says nothing, just stares at him for a long moment, until Finn can stand the scrutiny no longer. He pushes himself away from the wall, trying to think of a way to explain, but before he can open his mouth, Will shoves him, hard, knocking his head against the concrete and causing him to see stars.

Finn doesn't have a chance to recover, because Will is yanking his head down toward his own, and then Will is kissing him fiercely, pressing his body against the younger man's with an intensity Finn has never experienced.

His brain finally kicks into gear, and Finn wraps his arms around Will, pulling him impossibly closer. Will squirms against him, deepening the kiss, his tongue invasive but still somehow deliciously teasing in Finn's mouth. Before Finn realizes what he's doing, his hands are tangled in the front of Will's shirt, fumbling with what seems an obscene amount of buttons. He half-expects Will to put a stop to this, but all the older man does is gasp against his mouth, pressing his hips forward in what Finn can only take as an encouraging gesture.

Will's hands drift down to Finn's waist a moment later, yanking on his belt and flicking it open with an expert twist of his wrist that Finn would be more curious about if he had enough brain cells left for something as unnecessary as curiosity.

Will has his fly undone in record time, and there's no pause, not even a brief hestitation before his hand is thrust into Finn's pants, cupping his hardness with a firm grasp that makes the younger man see stars again.

Finn throws his head back, banging it into the wall again, but too far gone to care. His hips thrust in time with the steady movement of Will's hand, the friction it's creating through the thin cotton of his briefs nearly sending him careening over the edge.

After another moment of unthinking bliss, Finn realizes he's gotten off-track. He goes about undoing the rest of Will's buttons, lowering his mouth for another searing kiss. Will bites his bottom lip, hard, and Finn hisses, his hips jerking at the sensation. He's finally got the damn shirt unbuttoned, and he pushes it off Will's shoulders, flattening his hands over the other's man's chest, dragging his fingertips roughly over the taut, dusky nipples.

Will lets out a noise that sounds almost like a growl, and his hand speeds up. He tips his face up, demanding another kiss, and Finn can do nothing but oblige. He strains against Will's palm, wanting more, but afraid to ask, afraid to break the spell that's settled over them.

Will seems to know, though, that Finn is ready for more. He breaks their kiss, looking up into the younger man's eyes for a long moment as his fingertips tease the waistband of Finn's underwear, dipping beneath the elastic for a fleeting moments as Finn writhes against the wall.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Finn looks down at his one-time teacher, so full of longing he's not sure he'll be able to speak.

"Please," he finally manages to rasp out, and Will's eyes go dark. He give an almost imperceptible nod of his head, and Finn knows Will can tell exactly what he wants.

Slowly, Will tugs down Finn's underwear, revealing him inch-by-inch. The agonizing pleasure and wickedly torturous pace is almost too much for Finn to bear. He keeps himself as still as possible, breathing ragged as he braces himself against the wall.

"God," Will breathes, and Finn opens his eyes, wondering what the older man sees when he looks at him. His gaze meets Finn's, full of lust and wonder, and a slight smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "You're so fucking beautiful," he whispers, and Finn can feel the blush race all the way from his ears to his feet.

Will brings his hand to his mouth then, licking from palm to fingertips, and Finn watches, mesmerized. His eyes flutter shut when Will finally takes him in a firm grip, and he lets out a low moan.

Will begins slowly at first, his fist moving sensuously up and down Finn' shaft, his sweat and spit-slicked hand moving like silk against Finn's straining erection.

"God, Will," Finn says, moving his hips rhythmically in time with the other man's pumping motion. He can feel his climax building inside him, and he wants to hold himself back, wants to prolong the pleasure, but he's not sure he can. He whimpers as Will leans in for another kiss, his tongue mimicking the wicked action of his talented hand.

Finn's soft cries seem to set off something in Will, and the older man begins to move faster, his rhythm becoming erratic and rushed. Finn, dripping wet and harder than he's ever been in his life, sucks in a breath, dizzy with pleasure.

"Will," he says, raising and hand and gripping the other man's shoulder. "Will, I'm gonna..."

"It's okay," Will says gently, tightening his grasp and planting a messy, off-center kiss at the corner of Finn's mouth. "I want you to. I want to see you."

Finn gasps as his orgasm overtakes him, letting out a harsh cry as he spends himself in Will's hand. Will wrings every last drop of come from him, then leans him gently against the wall. Finn doesn't move, eyes shut, knees trembling, afraid if he looks at Will he'll find it's all been a dream.

"Finn," Will says, and the younger man chances a look. He lets out a small, undignified moan as Will raises his hand to his lips and licks it clean while he watches.

Imbued with a sudden burst of frantic energy, Finn pounces on the other man, shoving him backward and nearly sending them ass-over-elbows into an ancient drum set. Will laughs, trying to steady them, but Finn is bent on a single goal, and he will not be distracted.

Dropping to his knees, Finn goes to work on Will's belt, clearly not possessing the same finesse as the older man. Will stares down at him as he fumbles, a mixture of amusement and heat fighting for dominance on his face.

"Finn, you don't..." he begins, but then Finn yanks down his zipper and he goes silent, eyes shutting as he instinctively sways forward.

"I want to," Finn says, echoing Will's earlier statement. "Don't you know this is what I've wanted for the last five years?"

Will doesn't answer, and Finn turns his attention back to the task at hand. Lacking Will's ability to take it slow, Finn yanks down the man's khakis, eyes widening as he takes in the substantial bulge covered in white cotton, a damp spot already spreading just below the waistband.

Finn leans forward, nuzzling his nose against Will's fabric-clad erection, taking in his smell of sex and laundry detergent and body wash. Will hisses, his hands coming up, fingers burying themselves in Finn's hair. Finn pulls back a fraction, just enough to allow his tongue to dart out, playing over the rough texture, tasting the sharp tang as he drags the tip over the wet spot.

Will moans, fingers tightening against his scalp, and Finn knows he's already exercised every ounce of patience he possesses. Swallowing and licking his lips with anticipation, Finn pulls down Will's underwear, letting out a sigh of appreciation as Will springs free.

Finn has never been all that good at foreplay, and he doesn't have the willpower to tease Will, so he decides the straightforward approach is best. Raising his eyes to look up at the other man, Finn takes his entire length in his mouth in one swift move. Will cries out sharply, jerking his hips so hard Finn has to pull back before he gags. He gives Will a moment to recover, then begins moving his mouth up and down Will's shaft, sucking gently and moving his tongue as he does so.

Slipping his hands around the back's of Will's knees, Finn moves in closer, swallowing the other man as deeply as possible, humming softly as he bobs his head. He pulls back after a moment, licking an uneven trail up the underside and then rolling his tongue over the head, tasting Will's essence as he licks his lips.

"I can't... can't last much longer," Will says with a little gasp as Finn takes him into his mouth again. Finn makes a pleased moan, encouraging Will toward completion. He can feel the older man's legs trembling beneath his hands, and he caresses the back of those strong calves, running his palms up Will's thighs and over his ass. His fingertips barely brush Will's crease, and suddenly the older man is crying out his name and coming down his throat, shuddering his release as Finn swallows reflexively.

Finn pulls away, pressing a soft kiss against Will's now flaccid cock. Will's knees buckle, and he sinks down, leaning forward as Finn's arms come up around him. The two of them cling to one another in the cramped little room, breathing heavily and shaking with the enormity of what's just happened.

Finn presses light kisses along Will's hairline, damp with sweat and warm against his lips. Will presses his face into Finn's neck, inhaling deeply. Finn can feel the other man trembling against him, and wonders if he's just spent from what's happened, or if something is wrong.

He's just leaning back, opening his mouth to ask, when there's a pounding at the door. Finn and Will spring apart, both guiltily pulling up their underwear and doing up their flies.

"Will?" calls a voice, slightly shrill with concern. "Will, it's Emma. Are you in there?"

A/N: Well, there it is! I feel hideously embarrassed, as this is my first attempt at an actual sex scene in many years. Constructive criticism is always appreciated... but please be gentle!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** I'm back in the game! This chapter came really fast, so I hope it doesn't seem rushed. Also, I had planned from the beginning to make this story twelve chapters, which would make next one the last one (so sad!). That is still the plan, but I've also planned a 13th chapter as an epilogue. My plan is to have chapter 12 up sometime next week, and then the epilogue hopefully a few days later. Thanks so much to all of you who have stuck by me, even though my (insanely long) dry spell. I love hearing your feedback, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine. _All the Way Down _belongs to Glen Hansard, and _Follow Through _belongs to Gavin DeGraw.

If there's anything worse than an awkward silence, Finn can't imagine what it is. Except for maybe an awkward conversation, which is precisely what he's trying to avoid. His hands are clamped so tightly around the armrests of the chair his fingertips are beginning to tingle, and he stares resolutely at the rack of pamphlets advertising advice for everything from bulimia to shopping addiction. Will is sitting next to him, tension rolling off the older man in waves. Across from them and behind a wide expanse of mahogany desk, Emma sits with her hands clasped in front of her, lips pursed and cheeks still tinged pink.

"Well," she says, then pauses to clear her throat, "we should talk about this. Since it happened on school property." She gives the pair of them a tight smile that looks more like a grimace to Finn, then stares uncomfortably down at her hands.

"Yes," Will says, and Finn can tell he's desperately trying to keep his voice casual but sincere. "And let me just say how sorry I am about that. It was a very irresponsible decision."

Finn glances over at the other man, then does a double-take. Will's shirt is buttoned crooked, one side clearly hanging a few inches below the other. Finn feels his face flush and looks away quickly, stifling a groan of embarrassment.

Emma nods her head, though she refuses to look up again. "And I should apologize, too. For not waiting for an answer before I barged in. I really regret that now..."

Will and Emma lapse into silence, and Finn continues memorizing the inspirational posters on the wall left behind by the last guidance counselor. Emma coughs, the noise so startling in the stillness that Finn jumps about an inch out of his seat.

"Are you okay?" Will asks finally, giving Emma a look that is both concerned and sheepish.

"Aside from wanting to pour bleach in my eyes?" she says with a nervous giggle. Clearly not intending to let that slip out, Emma clamps her mouth shut, then takes a deep breath. "Yes. I'm fine."

"Good," Will says, and Finn nods his agreement. Silence falls again, heavy and smothering as all three of them look around awkwardly, wondering what to do next.

"You know what?" Emma says. "Maybe we don't need to talk about this."

"Yeah, I'm good with that," Will says quickly, launching himself out of his chair.

"Me, too," Finn says, following suit, practically knocking Will over to beat him out of the stuffy office.

"Wait," Emma says, and Finn feels his shoulders sag. So close...

"I just wanted to say... I think you should know..." Emma says, struggling for words. She pauses for a long moment, and Will and Finn share a worried look. "I just want you to know that what happened tonight was inappropriate and very risky. Anyone could have walked in."

Finn casts a guilty look down at the floor, and turns around, prepared to apologize.

"But..." Emma goes on, biting her lip and looking up at Will with hooded eyes, "I want you to know that's a professional judgement, not a personal one."

"Emma --" Will says, but she holds up a hand, cutting him off.

"You're adults. And I care about you. Both of you," she says, flicking her gaze over to Finn for a brief moment. "I think... I think that in trying to make the right decision, you've made a couple wrong ones." She looks at Will intensely then, and Finn has to wonder how much she suspected when he was still in school. "Everyone does that sometimes. It doesn't make them bad people."

Will looks over at Finn, then at Emma, and though he's wearing a frown, Finn thinks there's something like relief in his eyes. Emma gives him a smile that is small but sincere, and after a moment, the older man returns it. Finn takes an easy breath for what feels like the first time in days.

"Now, please go," Emma continues, gesturing at the door. "I can't look at either of you without seeing you in your underpants."

***

Finn thinks choosing to have a meaningful conversation in Will's car is probably the worst idea ever, because all he can think about is hauling the other man into the backseat and getting the windows good and steamy. But Will has that look on his face, that one that Finn knows means he's going to either shut down or freak out, and Finn is tired of running away to avoid the inevitable confrontation.

"So, who wants to go first?" he asks, trying to smile. Will fiddles with the radio dial, flipping through a dozen stations before settling on the one with the least offensive rap song. "And by 'who,' I mean 'not me,'" Finn goes on, laughing at his own joke. Will doesn't join in.

"_Oo_-kay," Finn says, feeling more nervous than ever. "Are you pissed about what happened?" he asks, dreading the answer.

But Will shakes his head, staring out into the clear night sky. "You know what I like about Ohio?" he says, the non-sequitur throwing Finn for a loop.

"Uh... the Reds are actually on a winning streak?"

"The skies," Will says, his gaze never wavering. "Ohio has beautiful skies. That's always been my favorite thing about summers here -- the way the sky looks right before a storm."

Finn watches the older man carefully, a sudden spark of fear igniting in his belly. "And do you think there's a storm coming now?" he asks, knowing without being sure how that they are _not _talking about the weather.

Will shrugs. "It's hard to say."

Finn turns in his seat, watching Will with a feeling of trepidation. "You need to talk to me," he says, and he can hear the tremor in his voice. "You have to tell me what's going on, man, because I don't know what you're thinking. I'm not good at this."

"Who is?" Will says with a bitter little laugh.

"Don't do this to me, Will," Finn says, growing increasingly worried. "Don't shut me out now."

Will turns suddenly, meeting Finn's eyes with a gaze that is so full of pain, Finn pulls back as if he's been struck.

"I'm not sure I can do this," Will says, voice no more than a whisper. "I don't... I don't think I can."

"What?" Finn asks, stunned. "What do you mean?"

"What happened tonight..." Will begins, then breaks off, staring once more out the window. "I loved it," he says finally, resolutely not meeting Finn's eyes. "I loved every second of it. But as soon as it was over..."

"What?" Finn says again, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in the confines of the car. "_What_?"

"I kept thinking about how wrong it was," Will says, a catch in his voice. "About how I've been taking advantage of you --"

"Woah, woah, woah," Finn says, holding up a hand. "There has been _no _advantage taking. My advantage has definitely _not_ been taken. Will, I _wanted _what happened tonight. You know that, right?"

"I don't feel like I know anything anymore," Will says quietly. "I spent the last four years dealing with all this guilt, but I never really got rid of it; all this time, I've just been hiding it, pretending it away."

"But there's nothing to feel guilty about!" Finn says, voice rising with his frustration. "I'm an adult, just like Emma said. I am allowed to make my own decisions about my life... who I love... who I fuck. And _you _are allowed to return those feelings, Will."

Will doesn't respond, instead staring out the window with a pained expression on his face. Finn looks out his own window, at a loss for what to say to make things right. He doesn't want to upset Will any further, but he's so sick of this guilt and self-flagellation. He balls his hands into fists, wishing he could punch the counselor who convinced Will he was evil for caring about someone, for giving his heart to someone.

Finn leans his head against the window, pressing his forehead into the cool glass and shutting his eyes tight. He doesn't know how to get through to Will, and he isn't sure it's even possible. He hears the other man fumbling and looks over, wondering what he's up to.

Will is pulling his visor down, rifling through the CDs in the holder. He pulls one out and jams it in the CD player so forcefully Finn is worried the disc might snap. Will presses the fast forward button a few times, finally letting it come to rest on track six and settling back into his seat. Finn listens, curious about the song he's chosen. The music starts, low and soft, and then Finn hears a male voice, plaintive and wistful.

_You have broken me all the way down,_

_Down upon my knees._

_And you have broken me all the way down,_

_You'll be the last, you'll see._

_Some fight you gave,_

_And I pushed you away from me._

_And in the morning, when you turn in,_

_I'll be far --_

Finn hits the eject button, and Will snaps his gaze up, giving the younger man a questioning look.

"Sorry," he says, feeling a sight flush creeping along his cheeks. "Just... don't think I can handle that sad stuff right now."

"Right. Sorry," Will mutters, taking the CD and placing it back in the holder.

"No, it's just... Will, we have to talk about this."

But Will stays silent, looking ahead with an impassive face. Finn shakes his head, completely at a loss. Feeling a sudden need to keep his hands busy, he flips through radio stations, finally landing on a mix station out of Dayton. The song is one he's heard before, and he stops to listen.

..._I haven't felt like this in so many moons,_

_You know what I mean?_

_And we can build through this destruction, as we are standing on our feet._

Finn hums along with the tune, deciding it's a definite improvement over Will's choice of background music. The chorus starts, and Finn sings along with it. He forgets some of the words, but he can't help but agree with the sentiment of the song.

_So, since you wanna be with me_

_You'll have to follow through with every word you say._

_And I, all I really want is you,_

_You to stick around._

_I'll see you every day,_

_But you have to follow through._

Finn hears a soft noise coming from Will, and he stops singing abruptly, thinking the older man is crying. He looks over, brimming with concern, ready to do whatever necessary to stop the other man's pain...

And that's when he realizes Will is laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asks, a little irritated.

"Nothing," Will says, shaking his head and wiping the corner of his eye. "Just... did you plan that?"

Finn frowns. "Plan what?"

"That song. I mean... wow." Will giggles again, then loses control, laughing so hard Finn is worried he might strain something.

"Are you _drunk_?" Finn asks, looking at the other man incredulously.

Will laughs again, then takes a deep breath, calming himself. "What do you mean?"

"Uh, Mood Swing City, population: you," Finn says, feeling cranky. "I thought maybe we could have a serious discussion about what happened. It... it really meant something to me."

Something in Finn's tone sobers Will up immediately. The smile slips from his face, and he turns a pained look on the younger man. "Me, too," he says softly, reaching out a tentative hand. Finn takes it, squeezing hard, afraid to let go. "I'm sorry," Will says, looking down at their joined hands. "I know I'm acting like a lunatic. I just... I've denied myself any sort of real happiness for so long. I guess I feel like I don't really deserve it."

Finn swallows hard. "Will Schuester," he says, looking the other man directly in the eye, "if _anyone _deserves happiness, it's you." Finn shakes his head, and lets out a sharp laugh.

"What is it?" Will asks, biting his lower lip.

"I just don't get how someone as smart as you can be dumber than me when it comes to this emotional stuff."

Will raises his eyebrows, giving Finn a surprised and mildly hurt look. After a moment, his expression begins to change, and his mouth softens into a sad smile.

"I don't know. I guess I am pretty dumb," he says, looking up at Finn through his lashes. Finn aches to close the distance between them, but he's terrified to push too hard, or too far.

"I go back to Columbus in a week," Finn says, throat tightening.

"I know," Will says, strain evident in his voice.

"I need... Will, I need a decision. I'm not asking you for forever; not right now, at least. But I need to know if you can... if you can do this. If you can at least try."

"I don't know if I can," Will whispers, trying to pull his hand out of Finn's grasp.

Finn keeps Will's fingers laced tightly in his own. "Think about it," he says, reaching out and cupping Will's cheek in his palm. He tilts the other man's face up, running his thumb along Will's bottom lip. "Just think..."

Finn leans closer, sentence unfinished, completely lost in the warm green of Will's eyes. Their lips brush softly at first, tentative and unsure, and then Will leans into the kiss, opening his mouth just enough to take Finn's bottom lip between his teeth, biting down gently.

Finn moans low in his throat and presses forward, deepening the kiss. Will's arms come up, sliding around his shoulders and pulling him close. Finn's hand drifts down to Will's thigh, rubbing up the khaki fabric and coming to rest on his hip. He pushes forward, knee bumping against the gearshift, trying to get as close to Will as possible.

Finn is just about to climb over the console and into Will's lap when he feels a sharp buzzing in his pocket. He pulls back, startled, and fumbles around for his cell phone. Will sits back in his seat, one hand gripping the steering wheel, looking dazed.

"Hello?" he says, trying to catch his breath. Will watches him, eyes glazed and faraway. Finn listens to the caller on the other end, sitting up straighter as his eyes widen and his jaw goes slack.

"O-okay," he says, voice trembling. "We'll be right there."

He snaps the phone shut and stuffs it back in his pocket, reaching behind him to pull on his seatbelt. Without saying a word, Will turns the keys in the ignition and throws the car into gear.

"What is it?" he says once they're headed out of the school parking lot.

Finn looks at him, swallowing hard. "It's Carolina."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Well, here it is – the final chapter (not counting the epilogue) of The Long and Winding Road! Thanks so much to all of you for your interest in this story, and especially for all your positive and encouraging notes. You've made this such a lovely experience, and I do hope to write more Winn in the future. Hope you enjoy this chapter – just be warned, there is a LOT of schmaltz at the end... it just couldn't be helped! ;o)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Glee. I also do not own the song, which I am not going to name here, because I thought it was SO perfect for this story and this chapter that I want to keep it a surprise.

"You did _what_?"

Finn flushes and busies himself filling the coffee cups in front of him. "Sugar?" he says, turning and holding out one of the steaming mugs with a sheepish grin.

But Quinn's face remains stony and she doesn't reach out to take the coffee. She frowns, crossing her arms in front of her chest and fixing Finn with glare.

"Please tell me," she says in a clipped tone, "how it is possible that in the three days I haven't seen you, you've managed to screw things up so spectacularly?"

"Uh... just lucky, I guess?" Finn says, with an awkward laugh. Quinn stays silent, though if possible, her frown deepens. Finn bites his lip, then brings his mug up to blow across the surface of the hot coffee, careful not to meet Quinn's eyes.

After a long moment, Quinn shakes her head disapprovingly and picks up her mug, taking a small sip. She closes her eyes and sighs, mouth curving in a small, satisfied smile.

"Good?" Finn asks, with a smile of his own.

Quinn gives him a look, then rolls her eyes. "Yes, Finn. After a week of hospital coffee, even this swill you made tastes like heaven."

Finn chuckles good-naturedly. "Guess that's one thing I haven't completely ruined," he says. His smile fades as he feels a sharp pang of sadness.

Something in Quinn's face softens as she watches him, and Finn can see pity in her eyes. "Really, Finn. What were thinking, singing a song like that in front of the entire school?"

Finn shrugs, not really in the mood to talk about it, but knowing Quinn won't let it go until she's proven to him yet again he's a total idiot.

"I don't know. Just... seeing him with Emma... it got to me, I guess. The idea of the two of them working together again made me..."

"Stupid?" Quinn supplies.

"I was going to say 'crazy'."

"That too."

Finn makes a face at her and Quinn grins over the rim of her coffee mug.

"Besides," Finn says, "I still don't think he should've gotten _that _angry over it."

Quinn shakes her head. "You don't get it, do you?"

Finn's forehead wrinkles, and he gives her a curious look. "Get what?"

"I know you didn't grow up with the same sort of pressure I did, and maybe that's why I understand how Will feels. He's been made to believe that caring about you, at least in a romantic way, is wrong. That therapist did a number on him, and it's going to be hard for him to get over."

Finn sighs. "I know that," he says, looking out the window at the bright sunshine, but feeling cold in spite of it. "But I don't get how this man, some shmuck he didn't even know, could make him believe he's evil. I mean, Will's not even all that religious."

Quinn gives him a look that is half-exasperated, and half-understanding. "He might not be religious," she says gently, "but he's _good_. He's a good man, Finn, and sometimes that makes him an easy target."

Finn nods, though he's not sure he gets it. "But why would get so upset about a little song?" he asks. "I mean, who would've known I was singing to him anyway?"

"He's paranoid," Quinn says, matter-of-factly. "He's terrified that people will find out and judge him for it the way that counselor did. He probably thinks anyone would know how he feels about you just by seeing the two of you together." She pauses, then smiles softly, almost wistfully. "I know I did."

"Yeah, but I -- wait. You what?" Finn says, pulling up short.

Quinn raises an eyebrow. "Finn, I've known for years how you two feel about each other. Any idiot with half a brain could see you were head-over-heels in love with him from the moment you joined Glee. Which is probably why it took you so long to figure it out," she adds with a smirk.

Finn blinks, processing what Quinn has said. Once again, he knows she right. And, once again, he hates to admit it.

"I need to go up and see Carolina," he says, abruptly changing the subject.

Quinn doesn't seem fazed by it, and Finn notes the way her face lights up when he mentions the little girl. "She's been asking for her Uncle Finn," she says with a smile. "I'm sorry I kept you away for so long, but the doctors said she needed her rest, and I didn't want to overwhelm her with too much company."

"It's okay," Finn assures her. "I was just so relieved to find out she was getting better. Will and I both were." Finn shakes his head, thinking back to Friday night. "When you called... the way you sounded... I thought..."

"I know," Quinn says quickly, shrugging one shoulder as if trying to shake off those bad thoughts. "I was just so stunned. One minute it was looking like she wasn't going to pull out of this, and then..." Quinn looks down, blinking, and Finn turns his head to stare at the window, giving her a moment of privacy.

"Anyway," Quinn goes on, voice mostly steady, "the doctors are still waiting to give us the all-clear until they get a few more test results back, but it looks like it was just a nasty bug."

"_Really _nasty," Finn says, and Quinn nods her head.

"You'd better get up there," she says after a moment.

Finn puts his coffee mug in the sink and heads toward the kitchen door. He pauses as he passes Quinn, then bends down, pressing a kiss against her temple. "You're a good friend," he says quietly in her ear, "and an even better mom." Without waiting for a response, Finn walks out of the kitchen and heads upstairs. Carolina's door is half-open, and Finn peers around the edge, checking to see if the little girl is awake.

She is, but only just. Finn thinks she looks even more frail than she did in the hospital bed, propped up on pillows and surrounded by an army of stuffed animals. But there's a hint of color in her cheeks, and her eyes are bright and clear. She grins when she sees him, and puts down the doll she'd been cradling.

"Uncle Finn!" she says, and Finns heart seizes when he hears how small and weak her voice is.

"Hey, beautiful," he says, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Feeling better?"

Carolina shrugs and makes a face, a perfect imitation of her mother. She cocks her head and looks at Finn with that same hard stare of Quinn's, until he begins to squirm.

"Where's Mushu?" she asks, lower lip jutting out in a pout.

"He, uh... he's really busy today," Finn says, scrambling to make something up. "But he's sorry he couldn't come, and says he'll be here soon."

Carolina narrows her eyes, and Finn knows she's not fooled. Fortunately, he hears the front door open, and familiar voices drift up the stairs.

"Sounds like your daddy and Rachel are here," Finn says, grateful for the distraction. A few moments later, the room is full of noise and laughter and singing. Finn uses the chaos to quietly back out of the room, winking at Carolina when she catches his eye.

Quinn, Puck and Rachel come downstairs a while later. Finn is sitting in the living room with another cup of coffee, staring blankly at the TV screen.

"You didn't have to leave," Rachel says as Finn stands up to pull her into a hug.

"Carolina needed some time with her parents," Finn says into her hair. "All of them."

Rachel looks up at that, a pleased and surprised expression on her face. "Thanks," she says softly, and Finn nods.

Puck steps in and holds out a hand. Finn takes it and they shake, falling into another awkward silence. "So," Puck says after a moment. "I hear you're screwing dudes now?"

"Noah!" Rachel says, smacking him across the arm with the back of her hand. But Finn can feel his mouth twitch upward, and he's smiling before he can stop himself. Puck returns the grin, and without a single word being spoken, Finn suddenly knows that they're alright.

The four of them pass the afternoon in companionable chatter, even though Finn has to admit his heart isn't in it. His mind is on Will, and his fingers are itching to reach for his phone, even though he knows he won't find anything worthwhile there. Will hadn't responded to his last two texts, and their phone conversation the night before had been brief, at best.

Finally, Finn excuses himself, promising to come back and visit Carolina the next day before he heads back to Columbus. He checks his watch, figuring that Will might still be at the school if Glee rehearsal ran long. Finn's mind races as he drives along the familiar streets, trying to formulate a plan. His stomach is churning, and he can feel a clammy sweat breaking out on his palms, slippery against the steering wheel.

The school is mostly dark when Finn gets there, but his heart leaps into his throat when he sees a dim glow coming from the windows of the chorus room. Finn parks the car and gets out slowly, wiping his hands on his jeans and tugging his shirt into place. He knocks on the chorus room door before he enters, not wanting to startle Will, but the room is empty. Finn catches the soft sound of music playing, and he follows it into the hall and toward the auditorium. Moving quietly, he slips through the backstage door, padding around broken-down risers and abandoned set pieces from the last school play. The band sits in the far corner of the downstage area, rehearsing their songs. Finn peers into the auditorium, shielding himself with a long, heavy curtain. Will is sitting in the front row, elbow on the armrest and head propped in his hand. His eyes are closed as he listens to the band, and Finn thinks he looks very young, and very tired.

The ache in Finn's chest deepens as he watches the other man, until it's all he can think about. He'd do anything to stop that hurt, for him and for Will, and though he doesn't know how, he's determined to try. Making a sudden decision, Finn steps out from behind the curtain and strides to center stage with a confidence he does not feel.

One of the Glee kids has left a mic stand downstage, and Finn goes to it, taking out the mic and flipping it on, ignoring the curious stares of the band. Will's eyes are still shut, oblivious to what's happening. Finally, he must notice that the band is slowly trailing off and he looks up, confused. When he sees Finn standing there, his eyes go wide. His hands grip the armrests as his entire body goes rigid. He looks terrified, Finn thinks, and the ache inside him grows.

Taking a breath, Finn sends up a silent prayer, and then opens his mouth to sing.

_I've had enough of danger_

_And people on the streets._

_I'm looking out for angels_

_Just trying to find some peace._

_Now I think it's time_

_That you let me know._

_So if you love me_

_Say you love me,_

_But if you don't just let me go..._

Will stands up abruptly as Finn finishes the first verse, looking around manically as if searching for an escape hatch. Finn swallows down his nervousness as the band recognizes the song and begins to join in for the chorus.

_'Cause teacher,_

_There are things that I don't want to learn._

_And the last one I had made me cry._

_So I don't want to learn to hold you, touch you,_

_Think that you're mine._

_Because it ain't no joy_

_For an uptown boy_

_Whose teacher has told him goodbye._

Finn's throat closes on the last word, as Will turns his back on the younger man, shoulders hunched and head bent. Finn watches in horror as Will begins to slowly walk away, making his way through the rows of chairs and toward the stairs that lead up to the door. Finn suddenly knows how it feels to have his heart fracture into a million pieces inside his chest. Desperately, he begins to sing again, throwing every ounce of passion, fear and love in his body into his voice.

_When you were just a stranger_

_And I was at your feet,_

_I didn't feel the danger._

_Now I feel the heat._

_That look in your eyes, _

_Telling me no_

_So you think that you love me_

_Know that you need me_

_I wrote the song, I know it's wrong_

_Just let me go..._

Something about the pleading tone in Finn's voice seems to bring the other man up short, pausing with his hand on the door handle. Seeing a window of opportunity, Finn launches into the chorus again, baring his soul and praying it isn't destroyed in the process.

_And teacher, there are things_

_That I don't want to learn_

_Oh, the last one I had_

_Made my cry._

_So I don't want to learn to_

_Hold you, touch you_

_Think that you're mine,_

_Because there ain't no joy_

_For an uptown boy_

_Whose teacher has told him goodbye_

Finn's breath catches as Will turns around then, looking at him with eyes full of fear. Even across the expanse of space between them, Finn can see that Will is weighing his options, and deciding whether or not to run. He takes a small step forward, and Finn wants to let out a cheer. But he knows that Will has changed his mind before, and he's afraid to trust that it won't happen again. Instead, he sings, shutting his eyes and tipping his face up toward the stage lights. Finn knows this will be his last effort to convince Will their relationship is as necessary to him as food or breathing or sunlight and he knows that if Will walks away now, it will be for the last time.

_So when you say that you love me_

_That you'll never leave me_

_I know you're wrong_

_You're not that strong_

_Let me go..._

Finn dares to open his eyes again, and is startled to find Will walking toward him, taking the stairs one at a time, pausing before each new step. It's progress, Finn thinks. At least it's progress. But when their eyes meet, Will freezes, panic spreading across his face. The look sends a shiver through Finn's heart, and a sudden awful feeling of hopeless futility descends. Lowering his head, Finn sings the last chorus, not entirely sure why he's even bothering.

_And teacher, there are things_

_That I still have to learn_

_But the one thing I have is my pride_

Finn looks up then, directly into Will's eyes, issuing a challenge. He's not defeated, and he won't let the love of his whole stupid life just walk out the door without a fight.

_Oh, so I don't want to_

_Hold you, touch you_

_Think that you're mine_

_Because there ain't no joy_

_For an uptown boy_

_Who just isn't willing to try_

Finn lowers his gaze, schooling his face into a pained and miserable expression. It isn't a hard look to achieve. Peering up through his lashes, he can see a look of concern cross Will's face, and the older man starts forward again. Silently cheering, Finn keeps singing, refusing to turn when Will reaches the bottom of the stage and walks up the steps.

_I'm so cold inside..._

Finn glances out of the corner of his eye, and then has to catch his breath at Will's expression. The older man looks confused and worried and scared half to death, but his eyes... his eyes are burning with something that Finn thinks can only be love. Heart leaping into his throat, he watches as Will tentatively holds out one hand. Swallowing hard, Finn turns to face him, blinking against the sudden burn behind his eyelids as he slips his hand into Will's.

_Maybe just one more try..._

The last note of Finn's song wavers and then dies out, but he doesn't need to sing anymore. There's no need for songs, or words, or anything else. He and Will watch each other in a moment of perfect understanding, their hands gripped tightly as the band finishes the song. Finn isn't sure he's breathing, but he can't find it in himself to care. He stares at Will as if for the first time, and he knows that something huge and irrevocable has shifted between them.

"Do you... do you want to go to your office?" Finn asks in a husky voice, but Will shakes his head. Finn casts a look over his shoulder. The band is still sitting there, each of them watching the scene between the two men with undisguised interest.

"They don't matter," Will says, reaching out his free hand and turning Finn's face back to him. "I don't care if they see."

Finn's eyes widen. "You don't?"

Will shakes his head, a soft smile playing along his lips. "I don't care who sees anymore. I'm tired of hiding. Tired of running. I'd like to... I'd like to stop. If that's okay with you."

Finn nods, unable to speak for a long moment. "That's okay with me," he says finally.

Will takes a breath, then looks up at Finn with total candor for the first time since Finn got back to town. The honesty in that look makes Finn catch his breath.

"Do you know that when Terri and I split up for good, I thought about leaving? I suddenly didn't feel like I had a home anymore. I'd lost my wife, my baby... everything I'd ever thought would be important to me. When things with Emma didn't work, I didn't see any point in sticking around." Will's eyes are cloudy as he tells his story, but suddenly they clear, and he looks up at Finn with a smile. "But then there was you. I had Glee, and I had you. And you always seemed to need me, and you always made me smile... even when you weren't trying to. And I've finally realized that I did -- _do _-- have a home. And it's you."

Will takes a shaky breath after his speech, and Finn does the same. He can hardly believe his ears, and part of him is glad there are witnesses, just in case Will changes his mind. Again.

Finn feels his knees trembling, and almost laughs at the way he's acting like a scared teenager, but the smoldering look in Will's eyes stops his nervous giggle in its tracks. Suddenly, Will's hand is on the back of his neck, hot and a little clammy against his skin. It comforts Finn to know Will is as nervous as he is, and he meets the other man's gaze, giving him a reassuring smile.

Will pulls Finn's head toward him slowly, and Finn's eyes flutter shut, mouth parting in expectation. The kiss is soft and unsure, and it's only when Finn tastes salt he realizes Will is crying.

He pulls away, then leans back in to kiss the damp tracks on Will's cheek. "I know you're having a breakthrough here and all," he says quietly into Will's ear, "but could we maybe do this in private?"

Will laughs, his chest vibrating against Finn's, and nods his head. Finn smiles and slides his hand down Will's arm, lacing their fingers together. They walk slowly toward the backstage door, as the band tries to look busy packing up their instruments and hiding their grins.

Will leads Finn through the choir room and into the office, closing the door behind them. He stands there in the center of the room for a moment, looking uncertain and alone. Finn moves behind him, slipping his arms around the older man's torso and pressing his face into Will's shoulder.

Will makes a contented noise, and Finn can feel his chest fall with the exhalation of a soft sigh. Finn smiles, then drops a kiss on his neck. Will turns in his arms, situating himself in Finn's embrace, then looks up with a worried gaze. Finn feels a tug low in his stomach, and leans in to press a chaste kiss to the older man's lips.

"So... what now?" Will asks, swallowing nervously. "You're still leaving tomorrow."

It's not a question, but Finn can't ignore the way Will's voice rises questioningly on the last word.

"Yeah," he says in a throaty voice. "I have to."

Will nods and gives Finn a brave smile that is as transparent as glass.

"But," Finn says, tightening his arms around the other man, "Columbus is only a couple hours away. We can take turns visiting on the weekends, I'll come in for all the Glee performances... you'll see," Finn says, giving the other man what he hopes is a comforting smile. "We'll make it work."

Will nods slowly, not entirely convinced, but when he looks at Finn there's nothing but warmth and affection in his eyes.

"It'll be hard," he says, but his face is, for once, clear of all the fear Finn's seen in it the last two weeks.

"I know," Finn says, "it _will _be hard. But not impossible. I promise you, Will, we'll make this work. You don't have to be scared --"

"I'm not," Will says, interrupting him. "I'm not scared anymore."

"You're not?"

Will shakes his head, a faint smile stretching across his face. "When I watched you -- heard you -- sing that song, I realized how close I came to losing it all. How close I was to letting you walk out of my life. And I realized... I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of letting myself be happy."

"Happy with me?" Finn says, hearing the disbelief in his voice and feeling like a terrified teenager again.

Will nods. "Yeah. Happy with _you_."

"I love you," Finn says, then screws his eyes shut. He hadn't meant to just blurt that out. He cracks open one eye, almost afraid to see the look on Will's face, but the other man is smiling, eyes bright and liquid green.

"I love you too, Finn Hudson," he says, reaching up a hand and running along Finn's cheek.

"Took you long enough to figure it out," Finn says, nuzzling his face into Will's palm.

Will laughs, and the sound warms Finn from head to toe. "I guess I just took the long road," he says.

"The _really _long road," Finn mumbles, but he can't keep a silly smile off his face.

"Really long," Will concedes. "But at least I made it to where you are."

"Where I am..." Finn echoes, finding it hard to concentrate with Will's face so close to his own.

Will smiles, leaning forward, his mouth just millimeters from Finn's. Finn can feel the older man's warm breath on his lips, can feel the electric spark between them. Will leans in impossibly closer, then pauses, looking up at Finn as their lips lightly brush.

"Home."

**A/N:** Well.... there you have it – the conclusion of The Long and Winding Road. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you'll stick around for the epilogue. I hope to have it up sometime in the next week, so keep an eye out for it! Hugs and kisses and squees to all of you!


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